Question
I have had a lot of pain in my right great toe, along the top and
have trouble flexing it.  It has gotten worse and I had an xray
which indicated quite a large bone chip on the edge of the toe.
Would an operation to clean out the chip help in the flexibility
in my toe?  I have a very difficult time wearing alot of shoes that hit along the top and side of my toe.  Can anything be done to help short of an operation?  I take Ibubropin and use bio freeze on it when needed.

Answer
Sometimes orthotics/orthoses with the right shoes help. Sometimes strapping it with tape to limit movement can help
Sometimes an injection and physical therapy can give short to medium term relief.
Unfortunately if the toe needs to move a certain amount and the spur is blocking the movement then surgery may be the answer.
We do these kind of surgeries. The traditional recovery time for bone and joint surgery is around 12 weeks-depending on the doctor and the procedure.
Make sure that the correct surgery is done to not only remove the spur, but also address the issue that caused the spur. For example if the first metatarsal is elevated-then the spur will return unless you do an osteotomy bunionectomy (cutting of the bone). See our website for more information about bunions-AnkleNFootCenter.com
Our recovery time is around 4 weeks-since we are experienced at these type of procedures.
Seek an opinion from a podiatrist who does these surgeries but also is good at orthotics.
Good Luck!
We give second opinions.
Hope this helps!

Dr George Tsatsos
Chicago & Elmhurst Podiatrists
Board Certified in Foot and Ankle Surgery & Orthopedics
New Chicago South Loop Location
AnkleNFoot.com

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