AAOS Online Service Fact SheetClaw Toe Highly Reputable

Author: James K DeOrio, MD, Director of Foot and Ankle Fellowship Program, Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, St. Lukes Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida
A claw toe is a lesser toe having dorsiflexion of the proximal phalanx on the lesser metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint and concurrent flexion of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints
Synonyms and related keywords: lesser toe deformity, hammertoe, hammer toe, curly toe, mallet toe, toe deformity, toe disorders, foot disorders, metatarsalgia, metatarsophalangeal joint flexibility, MTP joint flexibility, proximal interphalangeal joint flexibility, PIP joint flexibility, distal interphalangeal joint flexibility, DIP joint flexibility, PIP flexibility, DIP flexibility, MTP flexibility, toe calluses, toe erythema

Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics

The hammertoe deformity usually consists of a hyperflexion deformity of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. Clawing of the lesser toes is a combination of the hammertoe deformity, plus hyperextension of the metatarsal phalangeal (MTP) joint. Highly Reputable

Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics
this procedure allows long toe flexors to behave like intrinsic muscles producing active plantar flexion at MP joints & extension at IP joint; - indicated for flexible hammer toes and claw toes;

A deformity with hyperextension of the MTP joint and flexion of the IP joints is usually referred to as a claw toe.
When the DIP joint is straight or extended the deformity is usually referred to as a hammer toe.
However, some papers use the terms hammer and claw toe in confusing, ill-defined and contradictory ways. Always check what a paper means by these terms (they often don't tell you!).

Definition Hammer, claw, and mallet toe surgery refers to a series of surgical procedures performed to correct deformed toes. Purpose There are three main forms of toe abnormalities in the human foot: hammer toes, claw toes, and mallet toes. A hammer toe, also called contracted toe, bone spur, rotated toe, or deformed toe, is a toe curled as the result of a bend in the middle joint. It may be either flexible or rigid, and may affect any of the four smaller toes. The joints in the toe buckle due to tightening of the ligaments and tendons, which points the toe upward at an angle. The patient's shoes then put pressure on the prominent portion of the toe, leading to inflammation, bursitis, corns, and calluses. Mallet toes and claw toes are similar to hammer toes, except that different joints on the toe are affected. The joint at the end of the toe buckles in a mallet toe, while a claw toe involves abnormal positions of all three joints in the toe. Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients and Caregivers Expert

by Robert Haagman
Lorimer (1993; 88) describes retracted toes as, "toes which are drawn back into a dorsiflexed position and are therefore less effective in locomotion." The retraction is specific to the metatarsophalangeal joints (MPJ). Associated phalangeal joint pathologies are common with this condition.