First MTP Fusion Plate, Titanium

Fusing the big-toe joint is a load-bearing decision: this joint carries the body over the final rocker of gait, so a fusion plate here must hold its angle under repeated bending, not merely keep two bones touching. A dorsal plate answers by placing the implant on the tension side of the joint, where it resists the bending that push-off applies, while compression across the prepared surfaces does the uniting.

The two gauges size the implant to the patient. The lighter section suits a smaller foot and lower loading, keeping hardware volume down on a joint that sits just under the skin; the heavier section serves a larger build or higher demand. Both share the same dorsal contour and the same principle, and the fusion angle itself — the position in which the toe is set — is chosen by the operating surgeon for the patient's gait and footwear.

At fixation the joint surfaces are prepared, the toe is set at the planned angle, and the plate is laid on the dorsum of the joint. Compression across the fusion site is established first, after which the plate is fixed to the first metatarsal and the base of the proximal phalanx with the screws of the matching foot system. Provisional K-wires hold the position while the toe angle and rotation are confirmed. The fusion angle, the gauge and the screw plan are determined by the operating surgeon.

Contour and hole geometry follow the original system design without deviation, so the screws and instruments of the corresponding surgical technique fit the plates directly. BoneCraft stocks both gauges for both feet, and wholesale orders can combine this line with the single-joint fusion plates and the column plates of the same foot system in one shipment.