Long-Term Follow-Up of the Cheilectomy for Degenerative Joint Disease of the First Metatarsophalangeal Joint

Cheilectomy is the surgical resection of 20% to 30% of the dorsal metatarsal head and proximal phalanx. The present retrospective study evaluated the long-term efficacy of aggressive cheilectomy to address degenerative joint disease of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. To our knowledge, this is the second longest duration study to date to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the cheilectomy procedure, with a mean follow-up period of 7.14 years (range 39 weeks to 14.87 years). The mean patient age was 55.71 ± 9.51 years, and 37 (65%) of the patients were female. Age, sex, foot type, and preoperative radiographic parameters of hallux rigidus were also evaluated and correlated. The mean percentage of success with this operation was 87.69%. Of the 58 patients, 51 (87.93%) experienced no limitations in their daily activities. Only 2 patients (3.33%) subsequently required subsequent arthrodesis. The results of the present study suggest that cheilectomy offers long-term satisfaction for patients with hallux rigidus and is an acceptable alternative to the joint destructive procedure of first metatarsophalangeal arthrodesis.