Phalangeal head surgery

Surgeons often use phalangeal head resection to correct hammer, claw, and mallet toes. In this procedure, the surgeon removes part of one of the toe bones, the phalangeal head, so that the toe can lie flat. The affected tendons are cut and then reattached to conform to the new, correct toe position. A wire or tape holds the straightened toe in place until it has healed.

A variation of this surgery is called implant arthroplasty. It uses an implant made of a material such as silicone to replace the removed bone segment.

Most people have this surgery as an outpatient, so you probably won't have to spend a night away from home. But other things, such as your overall health, may require a hospital stay.

If you have severe pain in a toe that interferes with your daily activities, and if nonsurgical treatments such as roomier footwear, exercises, and pain medicine have not helped, you and your doctor may choose to try a phalangeal head resection.

The success of surgery for hammer, claw, and mallet toes has not been widely studied. The specific results and risks vary. They depend on the type of surgery, your surgeon's experience, and how severe your deformity is. After surgery, most people have toes that lie flat but don't have normal flexibility.