Trending the Incidence of 1st MTP Joint Arthrodesis in the Past Decade

Category: Bunion Introduction/Purpose: Arthrodesis of the first metacarpophalangeal joint (MTPJ) is frequently performed for the most common conditions affecting the great toe, hallux rigidus and hallux valgus. However, there is no detailed depiction of the procedural incidence in recent years. We hypothesize that stratified incidences of patients undergoing this procedure in the last decade has risen. Methods: The Truven MarketScan database was queried to identify patients who underwent 1st MTPJ arthrodesis from January 2009 to December 2019 based on CPT coding. Population estimates from the US Census Bureau were used to calculate the annual incidence of 1st MTPJ arthrodesis. Volume and incidence were estimated for annual sums, gender, age subgroups, and four statistical geographical regions of the U.S. Results: In total, 184,016 1st MTPJ arthrodesis procedures were identified in the database from 2009 to 2019. Annual volumes have increased significantly by 70.8%, from 12,125 to 20,710 total procedures nationwide. Procedural incidence reported per 1,000,000 people significantly increased by 58.7%, at 63.8 in 2019. Growth in incidence was demonstrated in males and females of all defined age subgroups. Incidence stratified by region rose in all regions except for the Northeast, where a -0.5% change between 2010 and 2019 was noted, albeit insignificant. Conclusion: The epidemiology of 1st MTPJ arthrodesis has yet to be clarified in recent years. We have found that the annual volumes and incidence of 1st MTP arthrodesis has increased in the past decade. Growth in incidence was demonstrated in both sexes of all age cohorts as well as regionally in the United States. Identifying current trends in procedural incidences can help provide orthopedic surgeons with insight into temporal and quantitative changes in the field.