There are many reasons people develop a hammertoe. An acute trauma, sports injury, poor-fitting shoes, nerve damage, and muscle and bone imbalances can cause a hammertoe. The only thing that corrects a hammertoe involves surgery. Every patient is different and the time it takes to recover from a hammertoe surgery can vary. Less severe hammertoe deformities can often be corrected with an in-office procedure and recovery can be as little as a couple of weeks. More severe hammertoes require outpatient surgery and can take several months to completely recover and return to full activity.