Avoiding Hallux Sesamoidectomy: A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Hallux sesamoid pain stems from conditions like fracture nonunion, keratosis, sesamoiditis, and avascular necrosis.
• Sesamoidectomy, the traditional surgery, yields inconsistent outcomes.
• Conservative treatments are increasingly sought for hallux sesamoid pathologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review non-surgical treatment options for hallux sesamoid pain.
• To evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for sesamoid pathologies.
• To explore surgical alternatives to sesamoidectomy.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on ESWT and PRP for hallux sesamoid conditions.
• Analysis of research on ESWT and PRP for analogous foot pathologies.
• Discussion of surgical alternatives and novel techniques.

Main Results:

• ESWT and PRP are emerging as effective conservative treatments for hallux sesamoid pain.
• Evidence suggests applicability of ESWT and PRP from other foot conditions to sesamoid pathologies.
• Surgical alternatives beyond traditional sesamoidectomy are being developed.

Conclusions:

• ESWT and PRP offer viable alternatives to sesamoidectomy for hallux sesamoid pain.
• Further research into these conservative modalities and novel surgical techniques is warranted.
• A shift towards less invasive treatments for hallux sesamoid pain is evident.