It's sandal season. But for folks with hammertoe, it's still "hide the foot" season. Now, something new may have you showing off your feet again. It's a new implant that offers a more permanent hammertoe solution.
Judy Cseh's been through hammertoe surgery twice. The first time was memorable, "I had pins sticking out from the second toe and from the side of the big toe."
This type of external wire is typical for hammertoe surgery, though it leaves the foot open to complications. "A source for a potential for infection, a source for a potential for a patient bending or bumping or damaging this, this pin that exits the foot," says podiatrist Dr. Jason Miller.
Another drawback - once the temporary wires are removed, the hammertoe can return. That's what happened to Judy. But her recent surgery featured a new quarter-sized implant called "Smart Toe." "This is really the first implant that has successfully combined all the aspects of good corrective procedure with sound metallurgic-type product that doesn't fail in the long run," says Dr. Miller.
The implant is made from nitinol, a heat-activated metal, shown here in a large-scale model. When it's frozen, it's compressed. "And that allows the ease of insertion into the patient's bones in the toe," says Dr. Miller.
Then he says, when it warms in the body, the implant expands and holds the joint straight, "Once it's inside the bone, for about a minute or so, the patient's body temperature will cause this area to expand, locking it into the toe."
The permanently implanted device offers benefits traditional surgery doesn't. "The fact of not having to have a pin exiting the toe, getting back to mobility quicker," says Dr. Miller.
The Smart Toe implant is available from podiatric surgeons across the U-S.
