The Need for Surgical Revision After Isolated Cheilectomy for Hallux Rigidus: A Systematic Review

Isolated cheilectomy has been proposed for treatment of hallux rigidus due to the perceived safety, efficacy, and ability to revise with repeat cheilectomy, implant or interpositional arthroplasty, or arthrodesis. A systematic review was undertaken to better understand the need for surgical revision after isolated cheilectomy for hallux rigidus. Studies were eligible for inclusion only if they involved consecutively enrolled patients undergoing isolated cheilectomy or involved revision surgery of the first metatarsophalangeal joint after isolated cheilectomy, evaluated patients at mean follow-up ≥ 12 months' duration, and included details of complications. Twenty-three studies, describing 706 cheilectomies, met the inclusion criteria, with 62 (8.8%) undergoing surgical revision in the form of arthrodesis (n = 23), no mention of revision procedure (n = 17), interpositional arthroplasty (n = 13), silicone implant arthroplasty (n = 4), Keller resection arthroplasty (n = 3), or repeat cheilectomy (n = 2). Twelve studies specified the grade of hallux rigidus as: 103 (19.9%) grade 1, 210 (40.6%) grade II, 189 (36.6%) grade III, and 15 (2.9%) grade IV. Six studies indicated the number of cheilectomies that required revision surgery as: 2 (20%) grade I, 8 (14.8%) grade II, 12 (9.1%) grade III, and 5 (55.6%) grade IV. These results make clear the low incidence of revision surgery after cheilectomy for hallux rigidus. Therefore, cheilectomy should be considered a first-line surgical treatment for hallux rigidus. There remains a need for methodologically sound prospective cohort studies that focus on the use of cheilectomy for specific grades of hallux rigidus.