Hallux rigidus: what lies beyond fusion, resectional arthroplasty, and implants

Hallux rigidus (HR) is the limitation of motion at the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, most commonly secondary to degenerative arthritis. Surgical options for treating HR include 2 general categories: joint salvage and joint destruction. A hybrid of techniques from the 2 categories has emerged: cartilage resurfacing, interpositional arthroplasty, and arthrodiastasis. These procedures address the pathologic condition of the first MTP joint more directly than joint salvage and avoid many of the negative complications, consequences, and connotations of joint destruction procedures. Alternative surgical options for the treatment of recalcitrant pain associated with HR are evolving and are discussed in this review.