Foot & toes
Hammer, claw and lesser-toe deformities
Painful bent or crossing smaller toes: pressure relief and tailored correction.
Understanding the condition
Hammer, claw and mallet toes describe different patterns of bending in the smaller toes. They can cause corns, rubbing and pain under the forefoot. The toe may be flexible or fixed. Assessment also considers bunions, joint instability, sensation and circulation.
Treatment options
Roomy footwear, cushioning, toe supports and selected exercises can reduce pressure. Avoid self-cutting corns, particularly with diabetes, poor circulation or reduced sensation. Surgery is considered when pain or shoe difficulty continues despite reasonable non-surgical measures.
What a procedure may involve
The procedure depends on the joints and soft tissues involved. Options include tendon balancing, joint release, removal of a small piece of bone or fusion of a toe joint. An external wire or internal implant may hold the correction. Associated forefoot problems sometimes need treatment.
Risks and benefits to discuss
Potential benefits are less rubbing and more comfortable walking. Risks include persistent swelling, stiffness, recurrence, a toe that does not contact the ground normally, altered toe length, infection, wire-site problems, nerve symptoms, impaired circulation, failure of fusion and further surgery.
Any operation also carries bleeding and anaesthetic risks. Occasionally, complex regional pain syndrome causes prolonged pain and sensitivity. Your health and the extent of surgery change your personal risk.
Rehabilitation and aftercare
Use the prescribed shoe and loading pattern, elevate the foot and keep dressings dry. Protect any protruding wire from catching on clothing; do not adjust or remove it. Attend planned wound and wire reviews. Exercises are only for movements permitted by your team.
Expected outcomes and recovery
Toes may remain swollen for months and fused joints remain stiff. The goal is comfortable function rather than a completely normal appearance. Return to ordinary shoes, work and sport depends on wound healing, swelling and any associated operation.
When to seek urgent help
Seek prompt advice for rapidly increasing pain, spreading redness, wound discharge, fever, new numbness or a cast or boot causing pressure. New calf pain or swelling needs urgent assessment. Chest pain or breathlessness needs emergency help: call 999.
Your consent discussion
Ask which treatment best addresses your symptoms, what alternatives are reasonable, what the main risks mean for you, and what recovery will involve at home and work. This guide supports that discussion; consent is completed with your treating team. Your individual written instructions take priority.
Your consent discussion
Use the patient pack to record your priorities, the proposed procedure, its alternatives, the benefits you hope for and risks that matter to you. A clinician will discuss your individual circumstances and complete the appropriate hospital consent process with you.
Reading or downloading a guide does not give consent. You can ask further questions, decline treatment or change your mind before the procedure.
Further reading & sources
Prepared 10 October 2026 for the practice of Mr Peyman Bakhshayesh. Professional background. General patient education; your clinical assessment and written instructions determine your care.
Private care in Huddersfield
Let’s talk about your next step.
Arrange an appointment to discuss your concerns and the options available to you.