Toe deformities

1. What is hammer toe? What are the symptoms and treatment?
2. What is claw toe? What are the causes of claw toe? What are the symptoms and treatment?
3. What is mallet toe? What are the symptoms and treatment?

Answers:
1. Hammer toe is a deformity of the lesser toes in which there is flexion of PIP with passive extension of MTP when foot is flat. DIP is not affected. May be caused by tight shoes or trauma. Symptoms include pain in toe. Treatment is toes with roomy toe boxes, 1/2 inch longer than longest toe, and passive strengthening of toes.
2. Claw toe is extension of MTP with flexion of PIP and DIP. Usually caused by incompetence of foot intrinsics, such as from neurologic disorders (diabetes, alcoholism, peripheral neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth, spinal cord tumors). The main symptom is pain. Treatment includes shoes with soft, high toe boxes, splints, possible surgical correction.
3. Mallet toe is flexion deformity at DIP jt with normal alignment at the PIP and MTP. This is usually caused by jamming injury or tight shoes. Symptoms include pain and callous at the tip of the toe. Treatment includes shoes with high toe boxes and trimming of callous.