WANG Chen, MA Xin, WANG Xu, HUANG Jia-zhang, ZHANG Chao and CHEN Li

    First metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) degenerative diseases are not rare pathological changes in adult forefoot.1, 2 It mainly includes hallux rigidus, hallux limitus and hallux valgus.3 Its progressive nature makes it hardly respond well to conservative treatment.4 Traditional surgical techniques, such as cheilectomy, Keller resection and arthrodesis are effective procedures but remain controversial due to none of them can achieve excellent results in all patients especially the end-stage conditions.5-7 Thus, great amount of efforts have been dedicated in MTPJ replacement despite many negative reports. This technique has aroused many controversies over the past decades due to its prematurity. Nevertheless, it has been improved in many aspects such as prosthesis material, design as well as surgical indications. This review would not only update the advancements and recognitions in recent years, but also presented the major disputed areas.