Comparison of the proximal chevron and Ludloff osteotomies for the correction of hallux valgus

Background: Although several studies have described good results of proximal chevron and Ludloff osteotomies, there have been no studies comparing the results of these two techniques at a single institution. Materials and Methods: We consecutively evaluated 46 patients who underwent proximal chevron osteotomies and 52 patients who underwent Ludloff osteotomies. Patients were evaluated by preoperative and postoperative weight bearing radiographs and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) halluxMP score. Results: Both groups had similarly high AOFAS scores and good correction by radiographic parameters. No statistically significant differences were found with respect to correction of hallux valgus angle (HVA) and intermetatarsal angle (IMA) between the two groups. Significant shortening of the first metatarsal was found after Ludloff osteotomy (p < 0.05). At 6 weeks after surgery, the pain subscore was significantly lower in the proximal chevron group than in the Ludloff group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The proximal chevron and Ludloff osteotomies yielded equivalent clinical and radiological results. The Ludloff osteotomy with lag screw fixation is more stable and does not require postoperative hardware removal, although it is technically demanding and has a tendency toward greater shortening of the first metatarsal.