Comparative study of the Weil osteotomy with and without fixation

Abstract Background Weil osteotomy is a technique widely used in patients with metatarsalgia which shortens the metatarsal and reduces the load under the metatarsal head. Methods The aim of this paper is to compare the results of the Weil osteotomy with and without any fixation system. We present a retrospective study of 92 patients (97 feet) who underwent treatment for metatarsalgia between 1999 and 2005. One hundred and six osteotomies were vixed using a screw amd no fixation was used in 92. The mean follow-up was 51.2 and 46.6 months respectively. Results All the patients were evaluated following the AOFAS LMIS scale, obtaining a mean score of 69.8 points (ranged 15–100) and 75.3 points (from 47 to 100) in each group ( P =0.11). Conclusions The results of fixed and unfixed Weil osteotomies were not significantly different. Our study could not find a significant relationship between metatarsal shortening and main complications (recurrent metatarsalgia, transfer metatarsalgia and stiffness of the metatarsophalangeal joint).