Do you have a short toe causing pain, discomfort, or embarrassment that forces you to curb your activities and makes it difficult to get through the day?
At Khosroabadi Institute, internationally renowned foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Alireza Khosroabadi, DPM, performs advanced brachymetatarsia correction procedures to relieve pain and improve foot appearance, patient confidence, and quality of life. Here’s what you should know about short toe syndrome and Khosroabadi Institute’s surgical correction options, including Dr. K’s trademarked minimally invasive toe lengthening surgery.
Brachymetatarsia Basics: Short Toe Causes and Risk Factors
Brachymetatarsia is a deformity of one or more metatarsals, the five long bones in the forefoot that connect to the base of the toes, where the bone stops growing too soon (usually around age 7 or 8), resulting in both aesthetic and functional impairments.
Short toe syndrome typically affects the fourth toe. However, it can happen to multiple toes on one foot or both feet. Primarily a genetic disorder, short toe can also be caused by an injury or infection.
Surgical Options for Short Toe Correction
Khosroabadi Institute offers life-changing surgical options for short toe correction. These procedures use your bone to lengthen affected toes, improving foot appearance and function. Dr. K’s toe lengthening surgeries provide permanent results compared to methods that insert silicone implants in short toe joints to achieve temporary cosmetic lengthening. One surgery we offer involves cutting the toe bone in half and placing a bone graft between the two halves. After a few weeks, the graft heals and becomes part of the original toe bone.
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Advanced Minimally Invasive Toe Lengthening Surgery Developed and Perfected by Dr. K
Dr. K’s exclusive toe lengthening technique helps patients achieve optimal results and get back on their feet as quickly and safely as possible. In your pre-surgical consultation, Dr. K will examine your feet and recommend the procedure he thinks is best for your condition. He’ll also discuss potential complications associated with surgeries and explain how he will treat any issues that may arise.
During the procedure, Dr. K surgically places a small external device on the bone of the affected toe. The device features a screw, which patients turn (typically daily) to slowly – and painlessly – lengthen the short toe bone. Although surgical times can vary by patient, installing the external fixation device usually takes one to three hours.
Five to seven days after surgery, you’ll have a post-op appointment with Dr. K and receive instructions for adjusting the external fixation device. He typically recommends turning the screw to lengthen the bone .5mm per day. (If your toe were 5 centimeters short, the lengthening process would take approximately 40 days.)
