Prospective Trial of Minimally Invasive Surgery Versus Standard Surgery for Correction of Hallux Valgus

Hallux valgus is a common deformity of the big toe, defined as medial deviation of the first metatarsal bone along with lateral deviation of the first toe. Surgery has been shown to be beneficial when compared to orthotics or no treatment. While generally effective, surgery is associated with significant post-operative pain and disability, with several weeks of limited mobility. Minimally invasive techniques have the potential to lead to increased patient satisfaction while still achieving adequate correction of the deformity. This trial is a non-inferiority treatment study, with open-label, randomized, prospective, controlled, parallel experimental design, to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a minimally invasive surgery versus a conventional surgery for hallux valgus. This trial examines two different surgical interventions. No drug or device is being evaluated in this trial. 60 to 100 patients, over the age of 18 years, undergoing surgical correction of mild to moderate hallux valgus will be enrolled in the trial. The patients will be randomized to two groups, one treated with a conventional distal osteotomy surgery, the other treated with a minimally invasive surgery. Randomization will occur immediately prior to surgery via a multitude of opaque envelopes containing a coded group assignment. Due to the differences in the techniques, neither the investigator and the subject can be effectively blinded to the group assignment. Data collection for the outcomes measures will occur preop, and then post of at 2 weeks, 12 weeks, and at 1,2, and 3 years. The primary outcomes measure is the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire Score (MOXFQ). Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire\' (MOXFQ), a 16 item patient-reported questionnaire consisting of three domains/scales: \'Walking/standing\' (seven items), \'Pain\' (five items) and \'Social interaction\' (four items). The MOXFQ is a validated disease-specific outcomes scale for foot and ankle surgery which has been shown to be responsive and reliable. Secondary outcome measures are preoperative to postoperative change in hallux valgus angle (HVA). Radiographic outcomes parameters will be measured using weight-bearing radiographs to analyze preoperative and postoperative hallux valgus angle, and the correction or normalization thereof. (Degrees of correction = 2 week preoperative HVA - 12 week postoperative HVA.)