Treatment of claw toes

In the treatment of claw toes, a distinction is made between conservative therapy and surgical therapy. In principle, both conservative and operative therapy measures are available for claw toes. The conservative therapy of claw toes is suitable for the still passively compensatable toe malpositioning.

First of all, an attempt should be made with conservative treatment measures. However, conservative therapy of claw toes is often not satisfactory. If the cause of the toe malpositioning is not rigorously eliminated, the deformity and callus formation progresses slowly but steadily.

Conservative treatment measures are:

Influence of the causal deformity e.g. by splayfoot orthosis, night splints and rein bandages
Toe gymnastics
Relief measures for pressure points, by comfortable shoes with soft leather, sandals, padding measures (felt rings/rubber padding)
Pedicure, whereby the calluses and corns return regularly without eliminating the cause.

If conservative treatment methods have not produced sufficient results, surgical treatment of the disease should be considered. There are various surgical treatment options that can achieve a lasting improvement of the symptoms. As a rule, attempts are made to shorten the bony structures of the foot and stretch the shortened tendon.

Through these measures, the toes are returned to their original position. The results of the operations are usually very good and full weight bearing is possible within a few days after the operation. Various surgical measures for claw toes are:

Tendon displacement: If the deformity is slightly pronounced, it may be sufficient to displace the shortened tendon on the sole side to the back of the toe. This will reduce the flexion on average

Diagnosis of claw toes

For an experienced orthopedist, claw-toe malpositioning is a gaze diagnosis. The malposition is very characteristic. In addition to the clinical examination, the pathological callosity pattern above the pressure points should be examined. An X-ray can confirm the diagnosis and show the position of the joint surfaces in relation to each other. This can reveal any toe dislocation (slipping out of the joint) or wear-related joint changes.