This article is a retrospective study comparing the efficacy of Regnauld
arthroplasty to first ray
osteotomies for the treatment of
hallux valgus. One hundred consecutive cases of Regnauld
arthroplasties were compared with 100 consecutive first ray
osteotomies. One hundred fourty-one patients were available for follow-up, and based on clinical/radiographic examinations, 72 were treated with the
osteotomy protocol (group A) and 69 with Regnauld
arthroplasty (group B). Age at surgery, clinical symptoms, and preoperative radiologic findings were similar for the 2 groups; there was a preponderance of female patients (90%). The average follow-up was 49 months in group A and 51 months in group B. Clinical evaluation showed in the
osteotomy group a more stable correction (79% v 49%), greater
pain reduction (measured in a visual analog scale from 0 =
pain free to 10 = deep intolerable
pain), increased residual articular excursion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (27 degrees of active dorsiflexion from neutral position v 8 degrees ), and less presence of central
metatarsalgia (15% v 34%) (P <.05). The radiographic evaluation expressed more stable correction values in group A for the following parameters: joint preservation, sesamoid position, intermetatarsal angle (7 degrees v 12 degrees ), abduction angle of the hallux (14 degrees v 20 degrees ), and proximal articular set angle (8 degrees v 18 degrees ) (P <.05).