Thanks for your answer. The x-rays show the the great toe is straight with good joint space. The joint of my 2nd toe hurts alot when examined but not so much otherwise. Most of the pain is in the toe itself.
I have scheduled the surgery and this time will be following the post-op instructions to the letter.
Happy Holidays
inflexible big toe: do the xrays show that there is adequate joint space in the great toe/metatarsal joint? if not, tendon lengthening would not help. you would need a decompression osteotomy (shortening procedure) to open up the joint space.
does your 2nd toe hurt when walking? if not, then syndactylization of the adjacent toes (sewing the toes together) will help keep the toe from floating and may be a good option.
if the joint hurts, you may want to consider a joint replacement with a silicone implant.