Resection or preservation of the metatarsal heads in rheumatoid forefoot surgery? A randomised clinical trial

Despite impressive results of the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progressive forefoot joint destruction still occurs in a subgroup of patients [1 –8]. The standard operative procedure, advocated for the treatment of disabling forefoot pain in patients with rheumatoid forefoot deformity, remains to be resection arthroplasty with removal of the lesser metatarsal heads (MTH). Reports of MTH resecting techniques show a short-term success rate o f 70–90%, and this rate is particularly explained by pain relief [9–11].
Source: Foot and Ankle Surgery - Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Source Type: research