Comparison of Physical Function and Pain Levels of Hallux Rigidus Patients before and after Synthetic Cartilage Implant vs Arthrodesis Surgery

CATEGORY: Bunion; Midfoot/Forefoot INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Hallux rigidus is a common and painful degenerative condition of the great toe limiting a patient's physical function and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate pre- and postoperative physical function (PF) and pain interference (PI) levels of patients undergoing synthetic cartilage implant hemiarthroplasty (SCI) versus arthrodesis (AD) for treatment of hallux rigidus using the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS). METHODS: Pre- and postoperative PROMIS PF and PI t-scores were analyzed for patients who underwent either SCI or AD. Postoperative final PROMIS t-scores were obtained via phone survey. Linear mixed model analysis was used to assess differences in PF and PI at each follow up point. Final follow-up scores were analyzed using independent sample t-tests. RESULTS: Total 181 (59 SCI, 122 AD) operatively managed patients were included for analysis of PROMIS scores. Final phone survey was performed at mean 33 (14-59) months postoperatively, with 101 patients (40 SCI, 61 AD) successfully contacted. Mean age of the SCI cohort was younger than the AD cohort (57.5 versus 61.5 years-old, p = 0.01). Average PF t-scores were higher in the SCI cohort compared to AD cohort at baseline (47.1 versus 43.9, respectively; p = 0.01) and at final follow up (51.4 versus 45.9, respectively; p < 0.01). A main effect of superior improvement in PF was detected in SCI group (+4.3) versus AD group (+2) across time intervals (p < 0.01). PI t-scores were similar between the two procedures across time points. CONCLUSION: The SCI cohort reported superior PF t-scores at all follow-up time points compared to the arthrodesis group. No differences were found for PI or complication rates between the two treatment groups during this study timeframe.