A Pathway to <i>Hallux Valgus</i> Correction: Intra- and Interexaminer Reliability of Hallux Alignment

Abstract

Hallux Valgus is an orthopedic deformity of the forefoot region characterized by a lateral deviation of the first toe by more than 15 degrees with a medial deviation of the first metatarsal, often associated with a rotational deformity of the hallux phalanges. The work presented here is part of a broader study. To assess the (mis)alignment of the hallux, computerized photogrammetry was performed with Kinovea® software. Scientific articles about the reliability of photogrammetry for the (mis)alignment of a hallux evaluation are unknown. The main objective of this work is to verify the reliability of intra- and interexaminer evaluations in the assessment of a hallux (mis)alignment using computerized photogrammetry. For the intrarater evaluation, one examiner analyzed an aleatory sample of 40 feet to measure the (mis)alignment of the hallux, repeating the analysis five or fourteen days later. For the interrater evaluation, two examiners analyzed an aleatory sample of 20 feet. An intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and paired samples t-test were applied with a significance level of 0.05. Both inter- and intraexaminer-reliability analyses were rated as excellent (ICCs > 0.7), indicating yet another way to assess hallux (mis)alignment by nonradiological means, avoiding the radiation exposure associated with radiographs and the cost associated with the equipment acquisition.

Keywords

• <i>Hallux Valgus</i>
• photogrammetry
• <i>foot device</i>
• plantar orthosis
• Kinovea^® software
• stability