What Is a Claw Toe?
Hammer toes, mallet toes, and claw toes are a very common lesser toe (toes 2 through 5) deformity that often is painful, and limits function and shoe wear selection. A claw toe is a deformity of the toe in which the MTP joint (metatarsophalangeal joint-the joint that joins the toe to the rest of the foot) is pulled up or extended. The mid toe joints (interphalangeal joints) are flexed, producing a toe that resembles a claw. (Fig. 1) A hammer toe is a deformity in which the middle interphalangeal joint (IPJ) is flexed. (Fig. 2) A mallet toe is a lesser toe deformity in where the end joint (distal IPJ) is flexed. (Fig. 3) Although claw toes, hammer toes, and mallet toes are technically different, they behave and look similarly, and will be discussed as one problem. What Causes a Claw Toe? Claw toes, mallet toes, or hammer toes may be caused by trauma (stubbing your toe, and producing a fracture or tear of the tendons that straighten or extend the toe). More commonly, the deformity occurs
