Hammertoe treatment options include surgical and non-surgical options that depend on the type of hammertoe, severity, and cause. Typically, nonsurgical options are used to treat mild hammertoes that get better with orthotic inserts, padding, pain relievers, etc. to get back into a straight position. In case non-surgical options don’t work, the doctor may recommend surgical options based on severity and type of hammertoe. The doctor’s surgery aligns the toe into a straight position and relieves your pain. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.

Surgical options

If the toe joint is rigid and no longer moveable, or nonsurgical treatment doesn’t relieve your symptoms, your doctor may recommend surgery. If your hammer toe causes chronic pain and interferes with your ability to walk and do daily activities, then the doctor may recommend corrective surgery. The doctor may recommend surgery to realign the bones of the joint, straighten the toe, relieve pain, and restore life quality. Here are the main surgical options for hammertoe:

1. Tendon transfer: In this surgery, the doctor pulls the toe into the correct position. This works well for a flexible hammer toe. Tendons attach muscle to bone. During a tendon transfer, the surgeon pulls a tendon near the hammer toe across the top of the joint. This pull ensures that it gets into a straight position, compensating for muscle weaknesses, improving your toe appearance, and also reducing your pain.

2. Tendon lengthening: If a patient has a flexible toe joint, the condition can be treated by lengthening the tendons that cause the joint imbalance.

3. Arthrodesis (joint fusion): Patients who have a fixed hammer toe may need to undergo this surgery along with tendon lengthening. In this procedure, your doctor will remove small portions of the joint to allow bones to grow together. A surgeon will cut tendons and ligaments and the ends of the bones so that they can insert an external wire or pins to hold the bones in place while allowing the bones to grow together and this can be removed later on after the joint gets fused.

4. Joint resection: This surgical procedure is used to fix the hammer toe. In this surgery, a doctor cuts ligaments and tendons to straighten the toe and may also remove a portion of the bone. To keep the toe in place, the surgeon may insert temporary pins, which can be removed a few weeks after the surgery.

5. Amputation: In rare cases, if the person experiences severe pain from a hammer toe and no other treatments work, a podiatrist then may recommend removing the toe. This procedure is called amputation.

A 2005 study of 12 older adults who had toes amputated found this procedure helpful in alleviating pain and people are very satisfied with surgical outcomes. Removing a toe can change the way a person balances on their foot and its appearance which can be riskier and harder to recover compared to other surgeries.

If you need help with hammertoes, visit our podiatry clinic in Brooklyn to get professional help. Visit our podiatrist in Brooklyn to get the best treatment for your foot problems. Doral Health & Wellness employs Podiatrists with extensive education and expertise. Trauma to the tendons, muscles, and bones of the foot is quite common, as are infections secondary to systemic diseases. It’s not a good idea to put off seeing Foot Doctor Brooklyn until you’re in a lot of pain. Our address is 1797 Pitkin Avenue, New York, NY 11212. To make an appointment, please call +1-347-384-5690 or send an email to info@doralhw.org.