Evolution of the first metatarsophalangeal joint replacement

Introduction The diseases of the first metatarsophalangeal (1 MTP) joint that require surgical treatment include osteoarthritis (69 %), rheumatoid arthritis (26 %), tumors, tumor-like diseases and purulent arthritis (5 %). The treatment of arthritic 1 MTP is aimed at reducing pain and improving function. Joint replacement implants are meant to support body weight, maintain the length of the first metatarsal, provide metatarsal‑sesamoid joint functioning and restore joint motion. The purpose of the work was to analyze data from foreign and domestic literature on endoprosthetics of the 1 MTP, and briefly present analytical data on the results of using various implants.

Material and methods The article presents the summary of the Russian and foreign publications on  1 MTP joint replacement. The original literature search was conducted on key resources including PubMed, eLIBRARY, MedLine, Scopus. The search strategy was comprised of keywords: “replacement of  the  first metatarsophalangeal joint”, “surgical treatment of hallux rigidus”, “osteoarthrosis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint”, “results of endoprosthetics of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint”, "modernization of implants of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint". Publications brought out between 1968 and 2022 inclusive were analyzed.

Results and discussion The ideal implant should restore functional range of motion, improve function, maintain joint stability, distribute the stress across joint surfaces being wear-resistant. Over the years, various materials have been used to provide simple and reliable designs. Implants have been improved and divided into groups based on material and design, limited degrees of freedom, tribological pair composition, and the amount of articular surface replacement.

Conclusion New generation implants have a more durable design, anatomical shape and improved osseointegration. The advances in joint replacement have resulted in greater patient satisfaction and increased service life. The complication rate for replacement of the 1 MTP joint remains high. This indicates the need for continued research and further work to improve implants to make them more effective and easier to use.

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