Hammer Toe Surgery New York City, Manhattan NYC

A contracture or bending of any of your toes is called a hammertoe. This bending which is abnormal appears like an upside-down “v” when viewed from the side. Pressure is put on the toe when wearing shoes causing problems to develop. Common symptoms of hammertoes include:

Pain or irritation of the affected toe when wearing shoes.
The formation of corns (a buildup of skin) on the top, side or end of the affected joint.
Calluses (another type of skin buildup) on the bottom of the toe or on the ball of the foot at the base of the affected toe.
Redness and swelling at the joint contracture.
Restricted or painful motion of the toe joint.

There are Two Types of Hammertoes:

Hammertoes usually begin as mild deformities which progress over time which is not caused by shoes but heredity. In the earlier stages, hammertoes are flexible with symptoms that can be managed with noninvasive methods. This type of hammertoe is called Flexible Hammertoe. These are not as serious because they can be diagnosed and treated while still in the developmental stage with conservative methods. Hammertoes of this nature are called flexible due to the fact that usually they are still moveable at the joint. However if left untreated, hammertoes become rigid and will not respond to non-surgical treatment thus called Rigid Hammertoes. This type is more developed and serious than the flexible hammertoe. Patients with severe arthritis or more wait too long to seek professional treatment will most likely develop reigid hammertoes. At this point the tendons in rigid hammertoe have become so tight and the joint misaligned and immobile that surgery is usually the course of action, but not always.

What Causes a Hammertoe?

The most common cause of hammertoes is muscle/tendon imbalance. This abnormal balance causes increased pressures on the tendons and joints of the toe, leading to its contracture. Other causes are heredity (a toe too long and is forced into a cramped position), trauma (a previously broken toe), and arthritis; you have to remember…you look like your mother, father, grandmother or grandfather…you get the good bone structure but you also get the bad.. Arthritis causes the balance around the toe to be so disrupted that a hammertoe may develop. Wearing shoes that have too tight of shoe box causing toes to squeeze can also be a cause of for the development of hammertoe.

What Can You Do For Relief? Always try conservative methods first!

Apply a commercial, non-medicated pad around the bony prominence of the hammertoes; decreasing pressure to the affected area.
Wear a shoe with a deep shoe box.
Apply ice packs several times a day to reduce any swelling or irritation.
During the time that you are trying to reduce pressure to the affected area, a loose-fitting pair of shoes would be recommended to protect this area.
Try not to wear shoes that are narrow or too tight. Children’s shoes should be properly fitted and checked on a regular basis as their feet can often outgrow their shoes rapidly.
See one of our expert podiatric physicians at Foot Care of New York if your pain persist.

It is important that you remember that while these suggestions for treatment may make your hammertoe feel better, it does not necessarily cure the condition. A visit to Foot Care of New York with one of our expert podiatric physicians may be necessary to repair the toe to allow for normal foot function.

What Would One of Our Expert Podiatric Physicians Do to Treat Your Hammertoe?

Your hammertoe pain and condition is just as individual as you. Therefore treatment options vary although identifying the deformity early in its development is important to avoid surgery. Upon your visit to Foot Care of New York, one of our podiatric physicians will examine and X-ray the affected area and recommend a treatment plan that is right for you and specific to your condition.

Here are some treatments we may recommend:

Padding and Taping: This is usually the first step in treatment. Padding the hammertoe prominence minimizes pain and will allow you to go about your day. The taping may change the imbalance around your toe(s) thus relieving stress and pain.
Medication: Two types of treatments that can be administered are anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections to ease acute pain and inflammation caused by this joint deformity.
Orthotic Devices: At Foot Care of New York, we have the state of the art custom scanning for orthotics. No old fashion casting is required. All you need to do is to step onto our scanner which will show the image of the actual motion of your own walk and pressure points as well as all pressure points that may be causing you pain within your foot. Custom made orthotics may be useful in controlling foot function and reduce symptoms and prevent the worsening of the hammertoe deformity.
Surgical Options: Several surgical procedures are available and always a last resort. For less severe deformities, the surgery will remove the bony prominence restoring normal alignment of the toe joint, thus relieving pain. Severe hammertoes, which are not fully reducible, may require more complex surgical procedures. Recuperation takes time and you may experience some swelling and discomfort for a few weeks which is common following your surgery. Remember, any pain that you may feel is easily managed with medications prescribed by our podiatric physicians.

When Is Surgery Needed?

Only when conservative care has been exhausted and the hammertoe has become so rigid, surgery is needed to relieve the pain and discomfort caused by the deformity. Our expert surgeons will discuss your options and select a plan tailored to your needs. In addition, we will take into consideration the type of shoes you want to wear, the number of toes involved, your activity level, your age and the severity of the hammertoe. The surgical procedure performed to correct a hammertoe is called arthroplasty. In this procedure, which is most common, our surgeon would remove a small section of the bone from the affected joint. This involves a fusing of a small joint in the toe to straighten it and a pin or other small fixation device is typically used to hold the toe in position as the bones are healing. At times, it is possible, that a patient may require other procedures as well-especially when the hammertoe condition is severe. It is not uncommon for patients to have other foot deformities corrected at the same time during their hammertoe surgery. The length of recovery time will vary from patient to patient depending on the procedure or procedures performed.

Non-Surgical Approaches:

Depending on the severity of your hammertoe and other factors, one of our expert surgeons may recommend a non-surgical approach which we believe in first. Here are a few non-surgical measures that can be taken:

Trimming corns and calluses. We recommend that this be done by a health-care professional. Never attempt to do this yourself, because you run the risk of cuts and infection. Our surgeons know the proper way to trim corns and calluses to bring you the greatest benefit.
Padding corns and calluses. Our FCNY physician/surgeon can provide or prescribe pads designed to shield corns and calluses from irritation. If you chose to use over the counter pads avoid the medicated types as they generally may contain a small amount of acid that can be harmful. Consult with one of our doctors at Foot Care of New York.
Changes in shoe wear. Pointed shoes, shoes that are too short, or with high heels may force your toe against the front of the shoe causing a lot of pain. Instead, choose comfortable shoes with a deep, roomy toe box and heels no higher than two inches.
Orthotic devices. At Foot Care of New York, we have the state of the art custom scanning for orthotics. No old fashion casting is required. All you need to do is to step onto our scanner which will show the image of the actual motion of your own walk and pressure points as well as all pressure points that may be causing you pain within your foot. Custom made orthotics may be useful in controlling foot function and reduce symptoms and prevent the worsening of the hammertoe deformity.
Injection therapy. Corticosteroid injections are sometimes used to ease pain and inflammation but not always necessary.
Medications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as ibuprofen are often prescribed to reduce pain and inflammation.
Splinting/strapping. Splints and/or small straps may be administered by one of our podiatric surgeons to realign the bent toe.
At FCNY….be prepared to be spoiled?

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