Short fourth toe conditions are called Brachymetatarsalgia. Brachymet, for short, is most common on the fourth toe and has a higher female to male ratio. The cause has not been fully understood. While usually it does not cause a problem other than the visual appearance, sometimes it can cause pain upon other metatarsals or long bones in the foot. Stress fractures of other bones are also likely due to the increase in weight on the other bones of the foot. The short toe is not pulling its weight while the neighboring bones get overworked.
This condition can be fixed with different surgical methods. One is by adding a bone graft to lengthen the toe. Another more common method is the growing of your own bone via a technique called callus distraction. Callus distraction uses an external device that the patient themselves will dial to lengthen the bone over a prescribed time frame.
Some of the basic causes that result in such a condition are enlisted below:
Muscoloskeletal Problems
Ordeals of leg and lower leg
Foot distortion
Muscoloskeletal problems usually arise due to medical factors affecting the bones, muscles and conditions related to it. This is primarily due to distortion of foot and lower leg.
However, the most preferred treatment is to lengthen the bone to its ideal length. This provides the surgeon with more flexibility and control to enhance the short toe. This has to be done gradually since too much enlargement of the bone may not synchronize with the veins and arteries of the foot. This can result in poor blood supply and even dysfunctionality of the toe.
Undergoing surgery too has its own risks and limitations. Hence, the patient must realize the complications of the procedure. Ensuring that the conditions and precautions of the surgery has been made, it can provide a suitable foot without any limitations of the short fourth toe.