Mid-term Functional Results and Failure Analysis after First Metatarsophalangeal Joint Arthrodesis.

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First metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis is the gold standard in the treatment of arthritis of the first MTP joint as well as an effective salvage procedure after unsuccessful primary forefoot procedures. The paper aims to present an evaluation of mid-term functional results and specify the causes of low postoperative satisfaction among patients. 44 patients who underwent operative treatment in the years 2012-2018 were assessed with the AOFAS-MTP, EFAS and VAS scores and a radiological evaluation after at least half a year of follow-up. Multiple factors were analysed with regard to their influence on functional results and overall patient satisfaction. Our results were then compared to those of the most recent meta-analysis. The mean follow-up time was 27.4 months (from 6 to 82 months). The mean AOFAS-MTP score increased from 30.5 (SD 15.6) to 67.16 (SD 18.68), the mean EFAS score increased from 8.2 (SD 5.2) to 17.2 (SD 6.7), and the mean VAS score decreased from 7.6 (SD 1.6) to 3.2 (SD 2.5). Additionally, 35 patients (79.5%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the surgery, 9 patients (20.5%) reported their satisfaction as low or very low, while 6 patients (13.6%) required a revision procedure. Despite using methods of treatment comparable to those found in the literature and achieving similarly comparable functional and radiological results, the finding that a significant proportion of patients were not satisfied with the surgery shows the need for further investigation and optimization of operative techniques.