Biomechanical study on surgical fixation methods for minimally invasive treatment of hallux valgus

Hallux valgus (HV) was one of the most frequent female foot deformities. The aim of this study was to evaluate mechanical responses and stabilities of the Kirschner, bandage and fiberglass fixations after the distal metatarsal osteotomy in HV treatment. Surface traction of different forefoot regions in bandage fixation and the biomechanical behavior of fiberglass bandage material were measured by a pressure sensor device and a mechanical testing, respectively. A three-dimensional foot finite element (FE) model was developed to simulate the three fixation methods (Kirschner, bandage and fiberglass fixations) in weight bearing. The model included 28 bones, sesamoids, ligaments, plantar fascia, cartilages and soft tissue. The peak Von Mises stress (MS) and compression stress (CS) of the distal fragment were predicted from the three fixation methods: Kirschner fixation (MS = 6.71 MPa, CS = 1.232 MPa); Bandage fixation (MS = 14.90 MPa, CS = 9.642 MPa); Fiberglass fixation (MS = 15.83 MPa, CS = 19.70 MPa). Compared with the Kirschner and bandage fixation, the fiberglass fixation reduced the relative movement of osteotomy fragments and obtained the maximum CS. We concluded that fiberglass fixation in HV treatment was helpful to the bone healing of distal fragment. The findings were expected to guide further therapeutic planning of HV patient.