Placing a wedge of rubber between the first and second toes may help but this needs a wide shoe to accommodate it.
At operation, the bunion is removed, the bony overgrowths are shaved off and the joint is realigned. The toe becomes straight again and the joint is either fixed or floppy but this doesn’t seem to interfere with function.
Hammer toe is a condition which affects the second, third and fourth toes. It is usually due to overcrowding or to one of these toes, usually the second, being too long.
The toe becomes bent and the flexed joint sits up and, by rubbing against the shoe, develops a painful corn on the top. Operation to fillet the toe, taking out some bone, and shortening it so that it fits the shoe, gives a good result.
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