Outcomes following Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogel Implant for Hallux Rigidus: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Category: Midfoot/Forefoot; Other Introduction/Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate outcomes following polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel implant for the management of hallux rigidus. Methods: During January 2023, the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library databases were systematically reviewed to identify clinical studies evaluating outcomes in patients who underwent polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel implant for the management of hallux rigidus. Data regarding surgical characteristics, subjective clinical outcomes, radiographic outcomes, failure rates and complications were extracted and analysed. In total, 15 studies were included in this review. Results: In total, 1536 patients (1578 feet) underwent polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel implant for the management of hallux rigidus at a weighted mean follow-up of 39.4 ± 17.3 months. The weighted mean VAS score improved from a pre-operative score of 6.2 ± 1.3 to a post-operative score of 3.0 ± 1.6. There was limited data regarding improvements in range of motion. The complication rate was 15.7% and the failure rate was 9%. Conclusion: This systematic review demonstrated improvement in subjective clinical outcomes following PVA hydrogel implant for the management of hallux rigidus. A moderate complication rate and failure rate was noted at short term follow-up. Further studies with longer follow-up periods are warranted to elucidate the precise outcomes following PVA hydrogel implant for the management of hallux rigidus.