Hammer toe

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Hammer toe

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Hammer toe

Treatment:

Mild hammer toe in children can be treated with foot manipulation and splinting the affected toe. Properly-sized footwear or wide toe-box shoes usually provide comfort and can reduce aggravation of hammer toes. The protruding joint can be protected with corn pads or felt pads, corrective footwear, or other foot devices. Exercises may be helpful.

Severe hammer toe requires an operation to straighten the joint. The surgery may involve cutting or transferring tendons or fusing the joints of the toe together.

Expectations (prognosis):

If the condition is treated early, surgery can often be avoided. Treatment will reduce the associated pain and difficulty with walking.

Complications:

Foot deformity
Posture changes caused by difficulty in walking

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if hammer toe is present, for instructions on the best treatment.

Also call for an appointment if pain gets worse or difficulty walking occurs.

Review Date: 11/22/2004
Reviewed By: Benjamin D. Roye, M.D., M.P.H., Division of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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