Scarf and Akin Osteotomies for Correction of Hallux Abducto Valgus. A Ten-year Retrospective Patient Evaluation From Five Podiatric Surgery Centres Using PASCOM PSQ-10.

Abstract

BackgroundCorrective surgery for hallux abducto valgus is one of the most commonly performed elective procedures in foot and ankle practice, with over a hundred different surgical solutions having been proposed throughout the literature. The purpose of the study was to identify the clinical and patient reported outcomes following Scarf-Akin osteotomies from five podiatric surgery centres over a ten-year period.MethodThis is a retrospective review from five podiatric surgical units which looked at patients who underwent Scarf osteotomies (in isolation or in combination with Akin procedures) over a ten-year period. Data was collected from the patient satisfaction questionnaires of the PASCOM-10 audit tool, which were completed by the patient six months post operatively, and further analysed using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software.ResultsA total of 1351 patients were recorded undergoing Scarf (with or without an Akin) osteotomy for hallux abducto valgus, with 1227 females (90.83%) and 124 males (9.17%) identified but with only 1189 who had completed the patient satisfaction questionnaire. 96.8% of patients felt that their foot was either ‘better’ or ‘much better’ following surgery and that their original expectations of surgery had been met. Over 75% of patients had no post-operative sequalae identified, with metatarsal fracture noted to be the highest sequalae at 4.8%.ConclusionFrom the five podiatric surgery units reviewed, Scarf osteotomies (with or without an Akin osteotomy) for hallux abducto valgus correction, have a high level of patient satisfaction with low post-operative sequalae.Level of clinical evidenceIV (retrospective review).