Abstract

A prospective study was performed on 24 patients to evaluate the early results of our experience with minimally invasive distal metatarsal osteotomy to treat mild-to-moderate hallux valgus deformities in adults. After failure of conservative treatment and persistence of footwear-related pain, a percutaneous distal first metatarsal osteotomy was performed, stabilized by a Kirschner wire, followed by immediate weight bearing. At final follow-up, clinical assessment showed that 31 of 36 patients were satisfied with their results. At a mean of 21 months, weight-bearing foot radiographs showed significant change compared with the preoperative status : the average corrections of hallux valgus angle and first intermetatarsal angle achieved were 13.1° and 5.4°, respectively (p < 0.001). No cases showed nonunion, malunion, overcorrection, transfer metatarsalgia or osteonecrosis. The technique appeared in this study to be an effective , safe and simple option for correction of a painful mild-to-moderate hallux valgus deformity.