Moderate to severe hallux valgus deformity: correction with proximal crescentic osteotomy and distal soft-tissue release.

Between 1991 and 1995, 96 patients (114 feet) were treated with a proximal crescentic metatarsal osteotomy and distal soft-tissue procedure for moderate to severe hallux valgus deformity [intermetatarsal (IM) angle > 15 degrees, or hallux valgus (HV) angle > 30 degrees]. At an average follow-up of 26 months, 8 men and 62 women (86 feet) with a mean age of 53.2 years were retrospectively reviewed. The HV angle averaged 41.1 degrees preoperatively and 14.6 degrees postoperatively. The respective values for the IM angle were 17.8 degrees and 7.8 degrees. Neither the average metatarsal shortening of 3 mm nor the dorsal angulation at the osteotomy site seen in 9% of cases evidenced any clinical significance at follow-up. Patient satisfaction was excellent or good in 91%, and the mean Mayo Clinic Forefoot Score (total 75 points) improved from 37.2 to 61.1 points. Complications included 8 cases of hallux varus and 5 cases of hardware failure. Based on this first study exclusively focusing on moderate to severe hallux valgus deformity, we conclude that proximal first metatarsal osteotomy in combination with a lateral soft-tissue procedure is effective in correcting moderate to severe symptomatic hallux valgus deformity with metatarsus primus varus (IM angle > 15 degrees or HV angle > 30 degrees).