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Updated: Dec 18, 2025
An Anatomical Study of Nerves at Risk During Minimally Invasive Hallux Valgus Surgery
Published on: February 17, 2018
Overview of randomised controlled trials in hallux valgus surgery (2,184 patients)
Hosam E Matar1, Simon R Platt2
1Arthroplasty & Adult Reconstruction Fellow, North West Health Education, Liverpool, UK.
Background:
The aim of this study is to provide an overview of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in hallux valgus correction surgery summarising the available high-quality evidence.
Methods:
Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid MEDLINE (1946 to 1 February 2020) and Embase (1980 to 1 February 2020). We excluded non-randomised trials, systematic reviews and case-series. We also excluded trials of MTPJ arthrodesis. Trials that met our inclusion criteria were assessed by two authors using a binary outcome measure of whether they reported statistically significant findings. These were then classified according to intervention groups.
Results:
32 RCTs met the inclusion criteria and were included. The total number of patients in those trials was 2,184. Only 4 RCTs (12.5%) reported significant differences between the intervention and the control groups. The remaining trials evaluated scarf or chevron osteotomies in 18 RCTs, and 10 RCTs compared other osteotomies or technical aspects of hallux valgus surgery using functional and radiological outcome measures with none reporting significant differences.
Conclusion:
Evidence from RCTs of hallux valgus surgery suggest that scarf and chevron osteotomies are the most popular techniques and lead to similar clinical outcomes.
