Surgery of the rheumatoid foot.

The typical rheumatoid foot deformity is that of hallux valgus, bunion, hammer claw toes with contracted dorsal soft tissue, depressed metatarsal heads and associated painful callosities and corns both under metatarsal heads and on dorsal surfaces of cocked-up lesser toes. Deformity and pain will be amendable with surgery if patients are selected properly and correct surgery is performed to achieve a pain free weight-bearing foot.