How to Fix a Hammertoe
How to Fix a Hammertoe
Many of the common foot & ankle injuries can slow you down dramatically. Often times we don't realize how much we rely upon the feet in our everyday lives until they are injured.
Having a "hammertoe" is a good example. This condition can make walking difficult and have a huge negative impact on your general quality of life.
What Is Hammertoe?
The condition known as hammertoe is basically a deformity of the toe, which results in the toe being locked into a bent position.
How Does a Hammertoe Occur?
There are several possible causes of a hammertoe. Here are some of the most common:
Improper Footwear & Hammertoe
Wearing High Heeled Shoes Can Cause Hammertoe
We've touched on this before, mainly in reference to a condition called bunions. Well, we're talking about it again here with hammertoe. High-heels and narrow shoes are a prime contributors to developing hammertoe.
This is why we see hammertoe in women more often than men.
These shoes can also put undue pressure upon the toes and joints. This pressure can cause hammertoes or bunions.
Genetic Predisposition & Hammertoe
Sometimes patients are more genetically predisposed to developing hammertoe, especially in these cases:
People with flat feed may "overstabilize" because of less arch support, leading to hammertoe.
People with higher arches may develop hammertoe because of stress upon the tendons.
Infections Or Diabetic Risk & Hammertoe
Dr. Elton sometimes sees hammertoe develop when a patient has an infection due to decreased blood flow. This can occur in diabetics at a higher rate. If you are diabetic and develop corns or lesions upon the foot, consider seeing a specialist and changing your footwear.
Time to Get Surgery: Hammertoe Correction
Hammertoe Correction is a Common Surgical Procedure
The procedure used to correct a hammertoe, is called, fittingly, hammertoe correction. In this procedure, we remove a small piece of the bone of the toe. This shortens the toe and helps it straighten.
What Happens During Hammertoe Correction?
If you are undergoing this procedure, you will be positioned comfortably and given anesthesia. Dr. Elton will make a small incision on the affected toe.
This is usually done on the upper side of the toe, allowing him access to the PIP (proximal interphalangeal) joint of the affected toe.
Next, Dr. Elton will remove the head of the proximal phalanx at the PIP joint.
Relieving pressure upon the joint by shortening the bone, the bones are moved to a more relaxed position, and space is created to allow the bones to properly align.
Stabilizing the Toe
Now that the bones are aligned, Dr. Elton uses a fixation device such as a pin, inserting it into the toe. Now the bone will stay in place while the joint heals.
While this healing process occurs, the joint will enjoy additional stabilization from the scar tissue that forms between the phalanges.
What Happens After Hammertoe Correction Surgery?
You Should Be Able to Get Back To Normal Activities 6-8 Weeks After Surgery
At the completion of the procedure, Dr. Elton will bandage you up and may requre a post-op shoe or boot to protect the foot for a short time.
Recovery time for hammertoe surgery is usually 6-8 weeks for a full recovery.
After this time, you should be pain-free and able to get back to doing your normal activities.