Hammertoe deformity can cause pain and difficulty in walking, and corn may appear over the joint. Joint stiffness, pain in the top of the bent toe, and swelling are some symptoms of hammertoes. This condition is similar to a trigger finger in the hand. If you have these symptoms, consult an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible for a hammertoe treatment. It can be surgically treated in Turkey by the best orthopedic surgeons.
What are hammertoes? What do they look like?
Hammertoes are joint deformities involving one or more toes. The toe is hammer-like, bending upwards rather than lying flat. This deformity occurs because the foot or leg muscles weaken and pull the toe tendons upwards abnormally. There may also be corn on the affected toe, which can be painful. Moving the affected toe may also be problematic.
What is the difference between hammertoes, mallet toes, and clawtoes?
Each foot of yours contains 28 bones. Among your five toes, the first toe (or “big toe”) has two joints: the metatarsophalangeal joint and the interphalangeal joint. The other four toes have three joints: at the base of your toe is the metatarsophalangeal joint (first joint), in the middle is the proximal interphalangeal joint (second joint), and the closest to the tip or nail is the distal interphalangeal joint (third joint).
Sometimes, hammertoes are confused with mallet toes and clawtoes. However, there are differences between them:
Claw toes: These involve bending in the joints of the first and second toes.
Hammertoes: The bending occurs in the joint of the second (or middle) toe.
Mallet toes: The bending occurs in the joint of the third toe.
What are the types of hammertoes?
There are three types of hammertoes:
- Flexible hammertoes: The hammertoe is still flexible and in the developmental stage, so the affected toes can still move at the joint.
- Semi-rigid: The hammertoe has begun to stiffen.
- Rigid hammertoes: The rigid hammer can no longer move due to tendon and soft tissue tightening.
Who is likely to get hammertoes?
Those who wear high heels and unsupportive shoes are more prone to getting hammertoes.
Do hammertoes hurt?
Attempting to move the joint may cause pain, and you might feel the hammertoe pain under your foot. Corns and calluses can also be uncomfortable.
Is a hammertoe the same as a bunion?
No, a bunion is a protrusion that forms on the outer part of your big toe.
Can a hammertoe cause numbness?
There is no direct link between a hammertoe and numbness.
Symptoms and causes of hammertoe
What causes hammertoe injuries?
Abnormal muscle balance in your toe can increase pressure on tendons and joints, resulting in hammertoe. Causes of this muscular imbalance include:
- Genetics: The type of foot you were born with may predispose you to develop this type of joint deformity. Flat and flexible feet can lead to hammertoes deformity as the foot tries to stabilize against a flat arch. High-arched feet can also lead to hammertoes as extensor tendons overpower flexor tendons.
- Poorly fitting shoes: Very narrow and ill-fitting shoes, like high heels, have minimal or no support. High heels exert severe pressure on the toes and their joints, which is why more cases of hammertoes are found in women than in men.
- Neuromuscular diseases: Neuromuscular diseases can contribute to the development of hammertoes. People with diabetes may be more prone to complications. For them, a hammertoe accompanied by corn or any other ulcer indicates significant pressure on the toes. In diabetic patients with poor blood flow or neuropathy, infected corns and ulcers can lead to toe or foot loss unless their shoes are modified.
- Trauma: Injury to your toe rarely leads to hammertoe.
What are the symptoms of hammertoes?
Symptoms of hammertoe include:
- A stiff joint in your toe.
- Pain – usually in the top part of your bent toe.
- Pain in the ball of your foot.
- Corns and calluses on the top of your joint.
- Redness, inflammation, or burning sensation.
- Restricted or painful movement of your toe joint.
- Swelling in your joint.
- Open sores (rare).
What makes hammertoes worse?
Shoes can worsen hammertoes over time, especially with unsupportive and tight-fitting footwear.
Diagnosis and tests
How are hammertoes diagnosed?
Your regular doctor may recognize the hammertoe immediately. They may also refer you to a podiatrist or foot and ankle surgeon for a precise diagnosis. The doctor will perform a physical examination, including touching and moving your foot and toes, to see how the joints react. Your toes may need X-rays.
If you have diabetes, you may need tests to determine whether there is a neurological condition causing tendon dysfunction or not.
Management and cure for hammertoe in Turkey
How is hammertoe treatment performed? How is it corrected?
Hammertoe correction includes the following:
- Surgery: To fix hammertoe issues, your doctor may recommend hammertoe surgery if the pain is severe, your hammertoe hinders your daily activities, and/or non-surgical treatments have not resolved the issue. During surgery, the surgeon may remove the bony prominence from your toe and realign the joint or insert a steel pin to correct the position of your toe.
- Custom shoe inserts/orthotic devices: They can control how your foot works.
- Pain relief: Taking anti-inflammatory medications or receiving cortisone injections to alleviate pain.
- Taping your toes: This can alter muscle imbalance.
- Padding: Padding around the hammertoe can reduce pressure.
What are the risks of hammertoe surgery in Turkey?
Risks for hammertoe deformity surgery may include:
- Infection.
- Bleeding.
- Nerve injury.
- Recurrence.
Will I be discharged from the hospital after surgery?
In private clinics, you won’t spend the night in the hospital.
How long does recovery from surgery take?
You may experience stiffness, swelling, and redness for four to six weeks after the hammertoe repair.
What should I do during the recovery period from hammertoe surgery?
Avoid excessive use of your toes during the healing period. Keep your foot elevated.
Prevention of hammertoe (Protruding foot bone)
Can hammertoes be prevented? How can I reduce my risks?
- Wear appropriate shoes: If you don’t want to undergo surgery to fix your hammertoe, try non-therapeutic padding alongside wider and deeper fitting shoes to accommodate the shape of your foot. Proper footwear can slow the progression of the condition.
- Use a toe cushion: The corn on top of the hammertoe can be uncomfortable when wearing shoes. After a warm bath, use a pumice stone or toe cushion to reduce the size of the corn. Then, apply moisturizers to keep the area soft and supple. When wearing shoes, use silicone padding or moleskin over the area.
- Do foot exercises: Your podiatrist may suggest exercises for your toes to keep them flexible and strengthen the muscles that move them. Toe stretching, wrapping, spraying, and moving them individually may help prevent the contraction that causes hammertoe.
- If you notice or feel any issues, ask your healthcare provider to refer you to a podiatrist (a foot specialist).
Future outlook on hammertoe treatment
Will hammertoes affect walking?
Joint deformity and corns can cause pain and consequently may limit your activity.
What should I do during the recovery period from hammertoe surgery in Turkey?
Avoid excessive use of your toes during the healing period. Keep your foot elevated.
How long will I have hammertoes? Are they permanent?
The consequences can gradually worsen without hammertoe therapies, so they will always be present.
Can hammertoes go away?
Hammertoe symptoms do not fade away without treatment, so consult your healthcare provider as soon as you notice symptoms.
Living with hammertoe
How do I care for hammertoes? Are there home remedies?
While nothing should replace the expertise of a podiatrist, you can try the following ways of hammertoe self-care to minimize discomfort:
- Reduce pressure on the area by applying a toe-shaped bandage.
- Wear wide-toe shoes.
- Avoid heels taller than two inches.
- Apply an ice pack if there’s swelling.
- Wear loose-fitting shoes.
What is it like living with hammertoes?
People suffering from hammertoes struggle with walking and running. They develop corns on their deformed toes.
How can I take care of my feet?
Take care of your feet by wearing shoes that are half an inch longer than your longest toe. Avoid tight shoes, especially high-heeled ones.
What questions should I ask my doctor when visiting?
- Is this joint deformity a hammertoe, claw toe, or mallet toe?
- What type of hammertoe do I have?
- What is the cause of my hammertoe?
- What type of treatment do I need?
- Are there any home remedies I can try?
- Can you recommend any shoes? Or are there any shoes I should avoid?
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