Lateral metatarsal osteotomy (LMO) aims to reposition the affected metatarsals in a chosen position. The approach may be open or percutaneous. There are several types of LMO, according to displacement: shortening, raising, translation or lengthening. Preoperative planning covers type and extent of displacement, osteotomy location and type (open or percutaneous), and number of metatarsals concerned. In the 1990s, older concepts of non-fixed osteotomies gave way to preoperative planning and calculated shortening, including the development of Weil shortening osteotomy. Diaphyseal lengthening or shortening osteotomy is mainly used for brachymetatarsia. The older concept of non-fixed lateral rays made a comeback with percutaneous first-ray surgery. Distal metatarsal minimally invasive osteotomy (DMMO) is the most effective, giving rise to variants such as distal oblique metatarsal minimally invasive osteotomy (DOMMO), to meet the requirements of greater displacement, especially in shortening and translation, and to be applicable in as wide a range of cases as possible. Presently, these percutaneous techniques have not demonstrated superiority over open surgery, and entail specific complications. Even so, they are now part of the armamentarium of forefoot surgery, as their minimal invasiveness corresponds to current trends in surgery, especially in the foot. Level of evidence: V.