Surgical correction of hammer toe is done when non-surgical treatments (like shoe changes, splints, or padding) fail to relieve pain or fix the deformity. Hammer toe occurs when one of the smaller toes bends abnormally at the middle joint, often due to muscle imbalance or ill-fitting footwear. Surgery typically involves either releasing or lengthening the tendons, removing a portion of the bone to straighten the toe, or fusing the joint so it stays straight. The specific procedure depends on how