Ferrari J, Higgins JP, Prior TD WITHDRAWN: Interventions for treating hallux valgus (abductovalgus) and bunions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Apr 15;(2):CD000964. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000964.pub3. Review.
Maffulli N, Longo UG, Marinozzi A, Denaro V Hallux valgus: effectiveness and safety of minimally invasive surgery. A systematic review. Br Med Bull. 2011;97:149-67. doi: 10.1093/bmb/ldq027. Epub 2010 Aug 14. Review.
Oliva F, Longo UG, Maffulli N Minimally invasive hallux valgus correction. Orthop Clin North Am. 2009 Oct;40(4):525-30, x. doi: 10.1016/j.ocl.2009.06.005. Review.
Smith SE, Landorf KB, Butterworth PA, Menz HB Scarf versus chevron osteotomy for the correction of 1-2 intermetatarsal angle in hallux valgus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2012 Jul-Aug;51(4):437-44. doi: 10.1053/j.jfas.2012.02.016. Epub 2012 Apr 8. Review.
Randomized Prospective Trial of Minimally Invasive Surgery Versus Standard Surgery for Correction of Hallux Valgus.
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.