Arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint: comparison of three techniques

There are cadaveric and biomechanical studies comparing different methods of fixation for achieving arthrodesis in hallux rigidus. However, there are no comparative clinical studies. We compared the clinical and radiologic outcomes of first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion using three different techniques: lag screw, lag screw and circlage wire, and Memory staples.

This was a retrospective study of 46 patients who underwent first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion. All of the operations were performed by experienced surgeons. Each patient had clinical and radiologic assessments postoperatively.

The three groups were matching in terms of demographic features and comorbidity. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability for radiographic metatarsophalangeal joint fusion was excellent. The mean time to clinical and radiologic union in the Memory staples group was earlier (7.6 weeks) than that of the other two techniques (8.0 and 8.1 weeks). The Memory staples group also had the lowest incidence of nonunion (1 of 15 compared with 4 of 15 in the single lag screw fixation group and 3 of 16 in the lag screw and circlage wire fixation group) and no hardware-related problems.

Our experience corroborates the advantages of Memory staples as described in the literature, including good approximation of bone fragments, technically easy application with fewer steps than an AO-applied screw, and an adequate source of internal fixation to achieve metatarsophalangeal joint fusion. There is also a suggestion that the time to achieve fusion is shorter.