What is Hammertoe?
Hammertoe is a deformity in the foot where the second, third, or fourth toe is curled or cocked in the middle joint of the toe. Foot muscles straighten and bend toes. If the toe is bent for long periods of time, the muscles will tighten and not stretch out properly, leading to hammertoe. It is often caused by wearing shoes that don't fit properly, are too tight, narrowing around the toe area, or the frequent use of high heels causing a muscle imbalance.
What are the Treatments of Hammertoe?
Non-surgical treatments to relieve the pain and pressure of hammertoe range from changing footwear and adding shoe inserts to shoes, eliminating the use of high heels, and doing toe exercises at home to stretch and strengthen the muscles in the foot.
Hammertoe can also be corrected with surgery, if necessary, through a PIP joint arthroplasty. During this procedure, a small piece of bone is removed to shorten the toe and allow it to straighten.
Why Choose Northwest Orthopaedic Specialists?
Our fellowship-trained foot and ankle doctors at Northwest Orthopaedic Specialists completed additional training, specifically in the foot and ankle, and are recognized leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of ankle injuries and conditions. With this advanced training, our foot and ankle doctors, Dr. Padrta and Dr. Shirzad, are recognized leaders in the industry and have the experience and expertise to assess, diagnose, and treat your ankle injury or condition individually to your needs.
See a Specialist
To learn more about the treatment options available for hammertoe, please request an appointment online, or call 888-660-2663.
Appointment Resources
Once you have scheduled your appointment with one of our specialty-trained foot doctors, please use the link below to obtain our new patient forms and browse through our tips and preparation suggestions for your appointment.
"I had foot surgery on my left foot, which had very long toes, and thus, many hammer toes so I had difficulty walking. Dr. Padrta was the surgeon and was wonderful to work with. He shortened all of my toes, and they are much better today. That foot looks and feels so good, maybe I will have the right one done and for sure, it would be with Dr. Padrta." — Dian Z.