Our Top Foot Surgeons Offer Toe Fusion at Mercy Medical Center

The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy - Baltimore, MD

At The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy in Baltimore, our surgeons provide expertise in correcting toe deformities. Often a toe fusion is performed to alleviate the toe deformity.

What is a Toe Fusion?

A fusion is when the two sides of an arthritic, painful, or deformed joint are made to heal together into one solid piece of bone.

When this is successful there is no further pain in the joint and the toe is permanently straight. However, a side effect of the surgery is that the toe is stiff.

In most cases where a toe fusion surgery is necessary, the patient is happy to trade the loss of flexibility for pain relief. In most cases of toe fusion, there is little to no effect on activities of daily living.

NEXT: How is a Toe Fusion performed? ›

How is a Toe Fusion performed?

A toe fusion is performed by removing the cartilage from both sides of the joint and perforating the ends of the both bones to expose the underlying bleeding bone. This procedure simulates a fracture for which the body has a built-in program for healing.

In order to get the two bones to heal to each other, metal plates, screws or pins are used to bring the two bleeding ends of the bones in contact with each other. This way when the bone healing program runs its course, the two bones will connect together and become one bone.

301 St. Paul Place
Baltimore MD 21202

The top rated team of doctors and surgeons at The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, is recognized as one of the region’s best programs for foot and ankle reconstruction and injury. Our surgeons offer pioneering surgical care and innovative, one-of-a-kind treatment for foot and ankle conditions, including osteoarthritis, sprained ankle, ankle arthritis, Achilles tendinitis, flat feet, heel pain, foot and ankle trauma, nerve problems and problems of the big toe. Mercy Medical Center is proud to have been named one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery.