Hallux valgus; An observational study on patient characteristics, surgical treatment and pre-operative HRQoL from the Swedish foot and ankle register (Swefoot)

Introduction: Hallux valgus (HV) is a common condition with impact on pain, function and HrQoL. International consensus does not exist on operative treatment of HV and population-level data regarding surgical treatment of HV is lacking. In this study we aimed to present base-line data from surgically treated HV patients reported to the Swedish register for foot and ankle surgery (Swefoot) during the period 2014–2021. Material and Methods: In total, 7543 feet in 6770 patients were analyzed regarding patient characteristics, grading of HV, surgical procedures and pre-operative PROMs Euroqol-5 Dimension-3 L (EQ-5D-3 L) and Self-reported Foot and Ankle Score (SEFAS). Results: Median age was 55 years (range 15–91) and 87% were women. The surgeon classified 63% of the cases as moderate HV, 15% as mild and 22% as severe. The Chevron osteotomy was the preferred surgical method and was used in 74% of all cases. Out of these, 58% were fixated with a screw. The Offset-V osteotomy was the most performed shaft osteotomy. Proximal osteotomies and lateral releases were less common. The pre-operative mean EQ-5D-3 L index and SEFAS summary score were low and HV patients with overweight and rheumatoid arthritis had significantly lower scores. Conclusion: This is the first report from Swefoot describing surgeon- and patient reported pre-operative data in patients with surgical treated HV.