HAMMER TOE SURGERY

Based in the heart of NY, Advance Foot and Ankle Solutions offers the best facility for performing hammer toe surgery, while catering to all other various foot and ankle problems. Look no further when you can have direct access to the globally acclaimed specialist team of foot and ankle surgeons, supervising & managing your hammer toe surgery with diligence and dedication.

Advance Foot and Ankle Solutions support team is absolutely attentive to your requirements related to hammer toe surgery. Call & book an appointment right away for professionally diagnosed, treated and empathetically cured foot and ankle issues, to lead a wholesome, enviable lifestyle.

Hammer Toe Surgery: Explained By Your Podiatric Doctor

A hammer toe is a potentially painful deformity of the 2nd, 3rd, or the 4th toe, whereby the toe bends upward at the joint, resembling a hammer. A hammer toe causes the toe to bend at the first joint which is called the “proximal interphalangeal joint”. The problem usually begins with a muscle imbalance that puts excess pressure on the tendons of the toe. Hammer toes usually occur in conjunction with other toe problems; for instance, it is possible to develop corns or calluses at the top of the middle joint due to wearing and rubbing against tightly fitting shoes for a prolonged period.

Some people can manage symptoms from this condition with lifestyle changes. They may opt for padding the toe and changing or stretching the footwear for a comfortable fit. If lifestyle changes don’t help reduce the pain, and other treatments fail, surgery may be the only option for correcting the contracted joint.

Hammer Toe Surgery: Features Associated With The Hammer Toe Condition

Causes: Several factors can be attributed to the development of hammer toe condition, listed below:

• Imbalance Of Muscle/Tendon in the affected toe(s)

• Abnormal Length Of A Toe leads it to developing hammertoe condition

• Past Trauma Or Injury to the toe elevates chances of hammertoe occurrence

• Improper Footwear such as unusually high heels or too narrow toe box causing the toes to get cramped for lying flat at comfortable position

Hammer Toe Surgery: Hammer Toe Signs & Symptoms

• Crookedness In The Toe, bending it inwards

• Redness & Inflammation noticed in the affected region

• Burning Sensation in the hammertoe(s)

• Discomfort & Irritation felt while walking or using footwear

• Development Of Corns as a result of continuous friction against the inner footwear wall

• Formation of open-end sores in the most severe cases

Hammer Toe Surgery: The High Risk Factors Of Hammer Toe

People with certain conditions are more prone to suffering from the hammer toe condition than others. These are listed below:

• Unusually Long Toe Bones (Phalanges)

• History Of Toe Injuries

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hammer Toe Surgery: The Types Of Hammer Toe

There are two distinct types of hammer toe. The type of hammer toe determines treatment options to be adopted by your orthopedic specialist.

• Flexible Hammer Toe can be treated without surgery, often by simply switching to better shoes with low heels and loose fitting, while in the early stages when the joint is still movable. Toe-strengthening exercises are a good option, too. If the orthopedic surgeon can straighten the toe, a tendon transfer procedure may be used to rectify the problem that helps pull the bent joint into a straight position.

• Rigid Hammer Toe: A rigid hammer toe signifies a joint that is no longer movable. Domestic treatment and altered footwear may offer temporary relief from the pain and discomfort. A doctor may recommend a custom orthotic device prior to surgery. If that fails, surgery might be the only option left with the surgeon. The rigid condition is treated by using either of the two common procedures, i.e. joint resection and bone mending.

Hammer Toe Surgery: The Nonsurgical Process Of Treatment

A variety of nonsurgical methods may be employed in order to curb the condition and its associated symptoms in the case of flexible hammer toe.

• Appropriate Footwear that is broad & spacious at the toes and low-heeled

• Customized Orthotic Devices fixed inside the footwear to rectify the tendon/muscle instability

• Soft, Non-Medicated Padding to prevent corns and/or calluses formed from discomfort and soreness

• Splints Or Straps applied over the crooked toe(s) for their corrective realignment

• Oral Medications in the form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers to control painful and inflammatory condition

• Specific Exercises suggested by your podiatric specialist in order to stretch and strengthen the affected toe muscles

Hammer Toe Surgery: Process Of Correcting The Rigid Hammer Toe

Hammer toe surgery has shown to be highly effective in people for whom the primary or solo issue is hammer toe and no other foot condition in conjunction with it. The following options are available with your orthopedic surgeon to get along with the best suitable technique:

• Joint Resection (Arthroplasty) is able to help with a fixed hammer toe. In this surgery, an incision is made on the top part of the toe to reach the ligaments and tendons underneath. The ligaments and tendons are cut to help straighten the toe. The end of one bone is removed so that the toe can be fully extended. Small metal pins or rods are often inserted and fixed to keep the toe straight during healing which are usually removed a month or so after surgery.

• Bone Mending (Fusion) procedure can reduce the severity of a fixed hammer toe. In this procedure, the surgeon removes the ends of the two bones that form the affected joint to allow them to grow together. This straightens the toe and can help reduce pain. A surgeon cuts tendons and ligaments, as well as the ends of the bones and would use pins or screws to help keep the joint in place. These remain in place to let the bones grow and fuse together, and are removed after the joint has fully healed.

• Toe Relocation Procedures are performed in conjunction with one of the two methods listed above. The joint often requires to be re-positioned along with ligament release/repair to set the toe straight if it is deformed at the ball of the foot region. A temporary surgical rod is inserted to hold the toe aligned while the ligaments mend and heal up.

• Amputation might be recommended by the podiatrist in rare cases where a person experiences excruciating pain from a hammer toe and no other treatment works fine for them. The procedure can alleviate pain and produce very satisfactory surgical outcomes. However, removing a toe can change the way a person balances on their foot. It also permanently changes the foot’s appearance, and can be riskier and harder to get accustomed to than some other highly invasive forms of surgery.

Hammer Toe Surgery: The Recovery Phase

Full recovery from hammer toe surgery usually takes a few weeks. The schedule will be determined by the type of surgery performed. Other experiences and pre-requisites include the following:

• Swelling that may last up to a year

• Painful & Difficult walking as the toe heals

• Wearing A Special Shoe Or A Shoe Insert to support the toe

• Walking With A Cane Or Crutches for a few weeks

• Elevating The Foot to speed up healing & reduce pain

• Remaining Non-weight Bearing for several weeks

• Stitches & Pins Removed after a few weeks

• Exercising to strengthen the toe and foot muscles

Hammer Toe Surgery: The Probable Risks & Complications

As with all other surgeries, hammer toe surgery carries risk of complications, including:

• Bacterial Infection

• Damage To Nerves & Blood Vessels

• Blood Clot Formation

• A Bad Reaction To The Anesthesia

• Recurring Hammer Toe

• Feeling Of Toe Instability