Bony mallet toe of the hallux treated with screws: a case report

Abstract

Abstract Traumatic avulsion fracture of the distal phalanx of the hallux, known as the bony mallet toe of the hallux, is rare, and there is no consensus regarding its treatment. Few reports of treatment methods exist, such as nonsurgical treatment using a splint, Kirschner wires, and suture anchors, but there are no reports of screw fixation. We describe the case of a 54-year-old man with a bony mallet toe of the hallux treated with screws and augmented with strong sutures. The interphalangeal joint of the hallux was fixed with a Kirschner wire for 4 weeks after surgery, and weight bearing was allowed on the hallux 5 weeks postoperatively. A total of 20 months after the surgery, the patient had no symptoms or complications. Because of screw fixation and augmentation with strong sutures, fixation strength increased. We showed the feasibility of this new technique for treating an uncommon bony mallet toe of the hallux.