Shortening oblique osteotomy with screw fixation for correction of the lesser metatarsophalangeal joints of rheumatoid forefoot

The metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints are often and predominantly affected in rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of the current study was to describe surgical techniques of shortening oblique osteotomy for lesser metatarsal bone with screw fixation at the osteotomy site, and to investigate the short-term clinical outcomes of our procedure. Twenty-seven feet (78 toes) of 24 RA patients underwent the shortening oblique osteotomy for the correction of deformity at the lesser MTP joints. The average Japanese Society of Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) standard rating system for the RA foot and ankle scale improved significantly from 59.6 points preoperatively to 88.3 points postoperatively (p<0.001). Twenty-four feet (89 ) were free from metatarsalgia and symptomatic callosities at the lesser MTP joint after surgery. Our present findings showed satisfactory early clinical outcomes of the shortening oblique osteotomy of the metatarsal bone with screw fixation for RA forefoot.