How Does a Hammertoe Form?

by Sueanne Dolentz

Ill-fitting Shoes

A hammertoe is a bending of joints in the second, third, fourth or fifth toes, where the base of the toe points upward and the end of the toe points down. It can have many causes, but the most common is ill-fitting shoes. Suppose your second or third toe is longer than your big toe, and you have a tendency to wear high heels, shoes with a pointed toe or shoes that are simply too small. If this is the case, chances are you're going to end up with a hammertoe. Under these conditions, your toes will be pushed up to the front of your shoe, forcing the toes to stay in this bent position for long periods of time. In these cramped quarters, the muscles in your toes will tighten and the tendons will shorten, causing your foot to remain in such a shape.

Heredity

In certain cases, hammertoes can actually run in families. Despite wearing proper footwear, such deformities will occur due to a muscle and tendon imbalance in the foot.
Injury

If you've ever injured your foot or broken a toe, you may end up with a hammertoe. Such trauma to the foot will lend itself to developing hammertoe.
Disease

Certain diseases and conditions will lend themselves to developing hammertoe. Joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis will cause hammertoe to develop. Neuromuscular diseases such as cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis can play a role in developing this deformity as well.