Percutaneous correction of a hallux valgus deformity: One year follow-up of 170 cases with radiographic and patient reported outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous hallux valgus correction is gaining popularity in the United States. However, its benefits compared to the traditional open technique remain debated. Adoption of the technique has been slow, largely due to the lack of long-term studies incorporating patient-reported outcomes in the U.S.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the one-year clinical and radiographic outcomes of percutaneous chevron-Akin osteotomy for hallux valgus correction using patient-reported functional outcome measures.

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study

METHODS

We identified 295 patients who underwent percutaneous chevron-Akin osteotomy for hallux valgus correction between September 2019 and April 2023. A total of 355 procedures were performed, including 61 bilateral surgeries. After applying inclusion criteria and accounting for survey non-respondents, 137 patients (125 females, 12 males) with 170 procedures were included in the final analysis. Patients were contacted and surveyed at a minimum of 12 months postoperatively. The primary functional outcome was assessed using the Foot Function Index (FFI). Radiographic evaluations were conducted using preoperative and final postoperative imaging.

RESULTS

Statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) were observed in all patient-reported outcome measures, including the FFI, as well as in radiographic angle measurements from preoperative to postoperative evaluations.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous hallux valgus correction demonstrates favorable outcomes at one year, with significant improvement in both patient-reported function and radiographic parameters. While these findings support the efficacy of the percutaneous approach, further comparative studies with the open technique are warranted.