First Metatarsal Hemiepiphysiodesis for the Treatment of Juvenile Hallux Valgus: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Juvenile hallux valgus (JHV) is a pediatric deformity characterized by the varus deviation of the first metatarsal and valgus deviation of the proximal phalanx. Among the several surgical techniques available, hemiepiphysiodesis consists of the unilateral growth arrest of the first metatarsal physis. Despite this technique has been proposed over 70 years ago, only a few studies including clinical and radiological outcomes have been published, making the procedure unclear in terms of results. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the outcomes of hemiepiphysiodesis of the first metatarsal in the treatment of JHV. Methods: Google Scholar, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane databases were searched for all the articles reporting on clinical and radiological results of hemiepiphysiodesis of the first metatarsal in the treatment of JHV. The selected articles were reviewed to extract demographic data, surgical techniques, complications, clinical outcomes, and radiological parameters. Results: Six articles were included in the qualitative analysis. A total of 85 patients with 144 halluces valgus were treated through hemiepiphysiodesis of the first metatarsal. The mean age at surgery was 10.7 years (range 5 to 15). The mean follow-up was 2.7 years (range 1 to 7.5). Hemiepiphysiodesis was performed through 2 different techniques. Eighteen (12.5%) complications occurred. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score increased from 70.6 (range 49 to 93) preoperatively to 89.4 (range 72 to 100) postoperatively. The mean HVA improved from 28.3 (range 14 to 46) to 24.03 degrees (range 0 to 54), and the mean IMA improved from 13 (range 8 to 33) to 10.9 degrees (range 8 to 33). Conclusions: This review showed that hemiepiphysiodesis of the first metatarsal is a safe treatment for JHV. Improvement in both clinical and radiological results has been observed in all the studies, sometimes being statistically significant. Despite the improvement, mean postoperative radiological angles remained altered and consistent with mild-moderate hallux valgus. This suggests that hemiepiphysiodesis plays a bigger role in preventing the worsening of the deformity rather than correcting it. Randomized controlled trials with longer follow-up and a larger number of patients are needed to further investigate the efficacy and safety of this treatment.