Information for Patients
From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Rotational Deformity of the Fifth Toe
Several unique deformities can occur in the fifth toe, including overlapping, underlapping, and cock-up malpositions. Conservative treatment involves wearing shoes with higher and wider toe box areas. Toe caps and sleeves can also be used to relieve symptoms. Surgical treatment is determined by the severity of the deformity. For mild deformities, soft-tissue procedures such as VY-plasty and tendon transfers (Lapidus procedure, Zanoli procedure) may be recommended. For severe deformities, bone procedures (PIP joint arthroplasty, Ruiz-Mora procedure, partial phalangectomy) and soft-tissue procedures can be added to tendon transfers.
Keywords: crossover fifth toe, overlapping fifth toe, underlapping fifth toe, toe deformities, cock-up deformities, VY-plasty, Butler arthroplasty, tendon transfer, tenodesis, Lapidus procedure, Zanoli procedure, PIP joint arthroplasty, Ruiz-Mora procedure, partial phalangectomy, syndactylization, Thompson procedure, Z-plasty