Hammertoes
Podiatric surgeon and foot & ankle specialist in austin, tx
Hammertoes Services Offered In Austin, Tx
Hammertoes Q&A
What are hammertoes?
The proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints in the middle of your second, third, and fourth toes can sometimes bend abnormally, creating a hammertoe.
The different types of hammertoe include:
Flexible hammertoe
With early-stage (flexible) hammertoe, the toe doesn’t lay flat but you can still move the joint.
Rigid hammertoe
WIth late-stage (rigid) hammertoe, the PIP joint won’t move at all, so your toe remains in the bent position all the time.
Claw toe is a related condition in which both the PIP joint and the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint at the end of your toe bend abnormally.
What causes hammertoes?
Hammertoes occur because of disrupted muscle balance in your toes. This leads to excessive pressure on the connected tendons, causing the tendons to draw tight to create hammertoe.
The root causes of the muscle imbalance include:
- Toe trauma
- Arthritis
- Second toe longer than your big toe
- Wearing shoes that squeeze your toes
Bunions disrupt the symmetry in your foot, including the nearby toes. If you have a bunion, you’re more likely to develop a hammertoe in the toe next to it.
How are hammertoes treated?
Hammertoes can be uncomfortable and even disruptive because they can make it more difficult to maintain proper balance as you walk. Treatment can ease discomfort and restore normal muscle and tendon balance in the toes.
Flexible hammertoe may respond to conservative treatments such as:
- Changing your shoes
- Toe exercises, like crumpling a towel with your toes (toe curls)
- Padding on the PIP joint
- Toe strapping
- Orthotics
These conservative methods can relieve discomfort and may prevent your flexible hammertoe from worsening. However, if you have a rigid hammertoe, surgical correction is the best option.
During hammertoe surgery, Dr. Ho-Ellsworth restores the tendon and muscle balance in your affected toe by realigning the joint.
Dr. Ho-Ellsworth can also perform minimally invasive surgery (MIS) using techniques that require no internal hardware. This means less pain and scarring, and you can walk the same day of your hammertoe surgery.
As a dual board-certified surgeon with extensive training, Dr. Ho-Ellsworth uses highly advanced techniques that ensure optimal results with as little downtime as possible.
If you have a hammertoe, Align Foot & Ankle offers expert care to get you back on your feet quickly. Call the office or schedule an appointment online today.
- 1600 W. 38th Street, Suite 408 Austin, Tx 78731 (inside The Jefferson Building)
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- Monday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
