• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Dr. David Sheba & Dr. Justin Sheba

CALL US PATIENT FORMS MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

  • Home
  • Meet Our Doctors
  • Services
    • Joint Replacement
    • Sports Medicine
    • General Orthopedics
    • Fracture Care
  • Contact Us

Floating toe

Floating toe is a common complication of Weil osteotomies. With Floating toe, also known as flail toe and elevated toe, the toe sticks up in the air rather than in the aligned, biomechanical position of other toes. At times, the affected toe will even "cross over" an adjacent toe, causing more pain, discomfort and problems with footwear.

This complication occurs if the osteotomy of the metatarsophalangeal bones and joint surgery did not address the underlying cause of the initial problem, such as hammertoe.

Symptoms

  • Toe sticks up in the air, rather than flat and aligned like other toes.
  • Toe is inflamed, red, and painful.
  • Joint is unstable, either too stiff or too loose.
  • Floating toe may be seen with crossover toe.

Treatment

Non-surgical physical therapy of floating toe may help. If surgery is required, your surgeon may recommend one or more procedures to restore toes to their proper alignment and functionality. To learn more about surgical options, please review the HAT-TRICK◊ section of this website.


All information provided on this website is for information purposes only. Every patient's case is unique and each patient should follow his or her doctor's specific instructions. Please discuss nutrition, medication and treatment options with your doctor to make sure you are getting the proper care for your particular situation. If you are seeking this information in an emergency situation, please call 911 and seek emergency help.

All materials copyright © 2020 Smith & Nephew, All Rights Reserved.

Footer

Smith & Nephew Library

You can now learn more about orthopedic conditions and procedures with our new library.

LEARN MORE

PATIENT EDUCATION

We want you to have the information you need about orthopedic conditions and treatments that affect you. Learn more in our interactive patient education library.

LEARN MORE

HomeMeet Our DoctorsServicesContact UsADA DisclaimerHIPAA Privacy PolicySitemap

Copyright © 2025 · Dr. David Sheba & Dr. Justin Sheba · All Rights Reserved

iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

Dr. David Sheba and Dr. Justin Sheba are board-certified orthopedic surgeons in Uniontown, Pennsylvania specializing in orthopedic surgery, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and joint replacement surgery,