What is a Hammer toe?

A hammer toe is when one of the lesser toes is stuck in a bent position.

How does it happen?

It can be caused by shoes squashing the toes together, by a bunion of the big toe crossing over onto the second toe or can occur naturally in some people as the tendons are too tight and pull the toe into a bent position.

What problems does it cause?

Hammer toes often rub on the shoes with a painful corn on the top of the joint, or cause the toes to rub together. It can also cause pain under the ball of the foot.

Non-surgical treatment:

Wearing flat shoes with enough room for your toes is important. Sometimes toe spacers or material toe sleeves can help.

Surgery

Surgery depends on what has caused the problem in the first place. Sometimes the tendons need releasing to allow the toe to sit straight. More often one of the toe joints needs permanently straightening by ‘fusing’ the joint together.

Sometimes this is done with wires sticking out of the end of the toes, other times the joint is fixed together internally with screws or other devices.

After surgery

It is important you follow your doctor’s advice, below is for reference only.

After surgery you should be comfortable and nearly all patients go home on the same day. You will have a bandage on your foot and a special stiff soled shoe to protect the foot while it heals.

For the first 1-2 weeks you will need to keep your foot elevated above your heart at home day and night to keep the swelling down. This reduces pain, reduces the risk of infection and allows the wound to heal.

You will be allowed to walk on the foot from day 1.

At 2 weeks your bandages will come off and the stitches will be removed.

After 6 weeks the stiff soled shoe will come off and any wires will be removed then you can go back into normal shoes.

It is crucial you don’t smoke (including e-cigarettes) or take anti-inflammatories for 6 weeks after the surgery.