Hammer Toe: The Various Types of Surgeries You Should Know

Summary: Hammertoe surgery may be suggested to you after more conservative measures have failed. Here’s what you need to know about it.

A hammertoe surgery is a kind of procedure that is widely used to correct the deformity in the toe, be it 2nd, 3rd, or 4th – it is a bend in the middle joint of the toe that makes it look like a hammer. A hammer toes surgery  is done to lessen pain and improve flexibility when the muscles in the toe can’t straighten. This is normally done with both women and children after all over-the-counter medication, splints, pads, wearing comfortable shoes, and other methods have failed. This is normally an outpatient surgery and is performed when the patient is in a lot of pain or the toe joint is stuck in a flexed position. 

Your surgeon may choose to use one or more surgical techniques depending on your specific case and level of deformity. 

Here are the types of hammer toes treatment in Baltimore that you may undergo. 

Fusion surgery

This is the most commonly done surgical procedure for hammer toes. During fusion surgery your doctor will cut the tendons and ligaments of the misshapen toe to straighten it out, they will also cut the ends of the toe bones to straighten the toe. Your surgeon may use a pin, K wire, or even screws temporarily inserted to keep the toe straight so it can heal. A newer technique involves using a screw or a rod that is permanently implanted. 

Joint resection

This hammer toes surgery corrects and straightens out the tendons and ligaments as well. Your surgeon may also cut them to help your toe relax and extend. The end of your toe bone is removed to help stretch the toe and straighten it out as well as inserting small pins or rods to keep the toe straight during recovery. 

Keep in mind that your foot needs to be kept elevated during recovery as you may experience some pain and stiffness and once this is done you will need to return to have the screws removed. Once the surgery is done you will not likely suffer from hammer toe again but ensure that you wear the proper shoes and take care of your feet.

In Conclusion

Although hammer toes treatment in Baltimore is typically an outpatient procedure, it takes a couple of weeks for you to heal completely. You may need to use a walker or crutches or even need help while working and in some cases, the surgery may leave you with a slightly longer or shorter toe. Your podiatrist will help you in determining what treatment plan to take and if you require surgery on the toe, always visit your doctor regularly for checkups so that the issue does not happen again. 

Resource box: At Podiatry Associates, they have a team of experts who can help you diagnose and treat the problem early and come up with a solution so that you would not need to undergo surgery. 

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