10 Causes of Hammer Toe
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
Cause #6: Friedreich’s Ataxia
Friedreich’s ataxia is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease where there is progressive damage of the nervous system. Affecting 1 in 29,000 individuals, patients often experience poor coordination, vision impairment, hearing impairment, heart disease, and scoliosis without affecting any cognitive function.
It is a progressive disease and most patients eventually require a wheelchair for mobility. In this condition, the ataxia is due to the degeneration of nervous tissue in the spinal cord causing the spinal cord to become thinner. Demyelination also occurs. The damage to the nerves can result in a hammer toe.
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