Understanding Hammertoes
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There are four causes of the muscular imbalance that often leads to the development of hammertoes. Not necessarily in order of importance, they are: genetics, ill fitting shoes, disease and trauma.
Treatment for Hammertoes
What Exactly Causes Hammertoes?
There are four causes of the muscular imbalance that often leads to the development of hammertoes. Not necessarily in order of importance, they are: genetics, ill fitting shoes, disease and trauma.
Physical Examination
A thorough physical examination of your foot will be conducted to assess the severity of the hammertoe and any associated issues. Recognizable symptoms include:
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Joint in the toe that is slowly becoming more and more rigid
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Pain at the top of the toe that is bent as well as in the ball of the foot
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The formation of corns and callouses at the top of the toe joint
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Inflammation or a burning sensation on the affected joint
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Pain or swelling in the toe joint
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Prevention
You can reduce the risks of contracting a hammertoe by considering the following precautions. One, wear sensible shoes always.
Even if you are headed for some formal affair, avoid high heeled or any footwear that exerts excessive pressure on the toes. Also pick shoes with a good arch support.
Secondly, if a corn or callous appears, use a pumice stone regularly after a warm bath to help reduce its size. Keep the area pliable and soft by generously using lotions, and apply silicone or moleskin padding to protect the area while wearing shoes.
Last but not least, do the foot exercises to keep toe muscles strong and pliant.
Treatment Plan Development
We can easily diagnose a hammertoe, but will always conduct a physical examination, which includes touching and moving your foot in order to see joint reactions. X rays may be in order as well, just to be on the safe side.
Non surgical methods may be recommended at first, but if conservative treatments such as: applying a non medicated hammertoe pad, wearing shoes with a deep toe box, using an ice pack to relieve swelling and loose fitting shoes do not relieve pain and continue to disrupt every daily activities, surgery will be the most suitable solution.
Surgical Consideration
Hammertoe surgery should not be an impulsive decision. It is only recommended if pain is severe, a patient cannot perform daily activities or if conservative, non surgical treatments have failed to provide any relief.
Surgery is usually performed on the middle joint of the toe. The most common procedure is Proximal Interphalangeal, which is also known as PIP joint fusion.
This process involves straightening and stabilizing the toe by permanently fusing the two bones in the affected joint.
Traditionally, this is accomplished by cutting the ends of the bones and then fusing them together. A stainless steel K-wire is inserted, which is a pin that will hold the bone ends in place for three to six weeks, after which time it is removed.
Two other surgical possibilities include: Tendon Transfer, which concerns straightening the toe by rerouting tendons from the bottom of the toe to the top and Joint Resection, a procedure in which the end of the bone at the fixed joint is removed and the toe is kept in a straight position.
Hammertoe surgery is an outpatient procedure and no hospital stay is required. You will walk in and out of the facility on the same day and will leave with a bandage on your foot that the surgeon will remove along with the stitches in his or her office some two to four weeks later.
Post-Surgery Recovery
Some stiffness, swelling, and redness may arise, lasting for four to six weeks. It's important to allow your toes time to heal during recovery by keeping off them and elevating them as much as possible.
It's worth mentioning that the following potential complications are rare and unlikely with proper postoperative care.
However, some risks associated with hammertoe surgery may include infection, neuritis, painful or unsightly scarring, chronic swelling, poor or non-fusion of bone, and recurrence of the deformity, which has been reported in 5 to 10% of hammertoe surgery patients.