Return to activities in younger individuals (<60 yrs) undergoing first metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis

Arthrodesis is a common procedure in the treatment of forefoot conditions affecting the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. Although this procedure has been shown to significantly improve individuals' activities of daily living and effectively relieve pain, there is a lack of research specifically investigating younger patients below 60 yrs of age wishing to return to sports. Our aim is to evaluate their ability to return to sports after 1st MTP joint arthrodesis. A retrospective analysis of clinical records of 159 patient that had undergone first MTP arthrodesis performed by a single surgeon was undertaken to determine pre- and postoperative sf-FAOS and sporting activity scores. The Tobit constant censoring limit model was used to analyze change in sf-FAOS scores. After the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 58 patients (median age 54 years, range 30 - 59) were included in the final cohort with a mean follow up of 5.3 years (range 2.0 to 9.44, SD 2.10). There was a significant improvement in the mean pain score (p<0.001), as well as an improvement in the mean function score (p<0.001). The number of hours spent in sporting activities per week were significantly higher (p<0.001) post-surgery (5.29 hours, SD 5.0) in comparison to preoperative levels (4.26 hours, SD 3.1). There was no significant change in the intensity of sporting activities (p=0.176). First MTP joint arthrodesis remains a good treatment option for younger individuals wishing to achieve a satisfactory return to sports.