Lesser Toe Deformity

Any condition that affects the joints of your lesser toes is likely to result in a deformity – a change in the normal anatomy of your toes. There are numerous types of lesser toe deformity, but the most common are:

• Hammer toe – an abnormal bend in the middle joint of a toe
• Mallet toe – an abnormal bend in the joint nearest to your toenail
• Claw toe – both the middle and end joints in your toe bend abnormally, forcing the tip of your toe to press downwards
• Curly / crossover toe – one toe curls towards or over another

What Causes a Lesser Toe Deformity?

Deformities are the result of an imbalance in the supporting structure in your toe joints (ligaments). If one or more ligament is weaker than the others, the joint will be pulled out of alignment.

These conditions can be the result of:

• Traumatic injury to your toe
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Genetics
• Tight or high heeled shoes
• Diseases such as diabetes or MS

Our specialists will provide exercises to help re-balance the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your foot and advise on improving lifestyle and footwear. You may also be offered corrective pads to help realign and reduce pressure on the joints.

Surgery

If conservative measures aren’t successful, our orthopaedic surgeons will carry out a minimally invasive operation to correct soft tissue problems or resolve bone conditions (joint replacement, debridement, fusion or resection).

• Bunions – painful, bony lumps on the inside of your foot at the base of your big toe. Treated with: physiotherapy, orthotics, injections or surgery to relieve pain.
• Morton’s Neuroma – nerve damage underneath the ball of your foot, causing a sharp pain like standing on a ballbearing. Treatment: physiotherapy, shoe inserts to relieve pressure, steroid injection to reduce inflammation or surgery to release the trapped nerve.
• Metatarsal Fractures – your foot bones can be broken as a result of impact or overuse (stress fractures). Treatment options include wearing a rigid shoe while the bone heals, while displaced bones may require surgery.
• Sesamoiditis – inflammation of tendons in the foot. Treatment: steroid injections, orthotics or surgery to remove the sesamoid bones.
• Plantar Fasciitis – Inflammation of the tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes along the sole of your foot, causing pain in your heel. It can be treated with physiotherapy, orthotics, steroid injections, ultrasound tissue repair, and in rare cases, surgery to detach the plantar fascia from the heel bone.
• Hallux Rigidus – pain and stiffness in your big toe can be caused by arthritis in the joint at the base of the toe. Treatment includes steroid injections, special shoe inserts and ultrasound therapy. It can also be treated with surgery to help restore mobility.