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WALL STREET OFFICE 111 Broadway, Suite 1302 212 608-5710 |
GRAMERCY PARK OFFICE 380 Second Ave., Suite 303 212 995-1500 |
UNION SQUARE OFFICE 80 5th Ave., Suite 1601 212 414-1150 |
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GLEN COVE OFFICE 70 Glen Street, Suite 104 516-609-3338 |
MIDTOWN OFFICE 165 W46th Street, Suite 705 212 757-8266 |
CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS
Patient Education
Overlapping toes are characterized by one toe lying on top of an adjacent toe. The fifth toe is the most commonly affected. Overlapping toes may develop in the unborn fetus. Passive stretching and adhesive taping is most commonly used to correct overlapping toes in infants, but the deformity usually recurs. Sometimes they can be surgically corrected by releasing the tendon and soft tissues about the joint at the base of the fifth toe. In some extreme cases, a pin may be surgically inserted to hold the toe in a straightened position. The pin, which exits the tip of the toe, may be left in place for up to three weeks.
Underlapping toes usually involve the fourth and fifth toes. (A special form of underlapping toes is called congenital curly toes). The cause of underlapping toes is unknown. It is speculated that they may be caused by an imbalance in muscle strength of the small muscles of the foot. If deformed toes are flexible, a simple release of the tendon in the bottom of the toe will allow for them to straighten. If the deformity is rigid, surgery may be needed to remove a small portion of the bone in the toe.