Research progress in the etiology and minimally invasive therapy of hallux valgus

Hallux valgus (HV) is the most common foot deformity. It has various pathogenic factors that make its pathogenesis challenging to understand. As the disease progresses, patients experience amplified pain and decreased activities, significantly affecting their quality of life. At present, clinics offer several conservative and surgical treatments that must be selected based on patient condition and disease progression. Surgical treatment is frequently the only method available to patients with HV to delay disease progression and correct the deformity after conservative treatment fails. In recent years, minimally invasive surgical treatments have gained significant attention and developed rapidly due to their well-known advantages, such as safety, efficiency, and quick recovery time. The number of literature that provides a systematic review of the subject must be increased. This review tracks recent advancements, summarizing the etiological mechanism, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of HV. In addition, it emphasizes typical surgical therapies and focuses on the progress of minimally invasive treatment from the first generation to the current fourth generation. This review will serve as a systematic basis for the clinical treatment of HV and provide a reference material for future research.