The name Morton's Toe has come about because of the name of the person who did some work on the foot affliction.
It is a condition in which the portion of the foot between the big toe and ankle becomes shorter than that of the second toe.
The result is the joint of the second finger get into a position which will be forward to that of the big toe.
As a result there is a possibility of the second toe looking longer than the big toe.
Usually the two toes are of the same length.
The difference in lengths may not occur in all cases of this foot ailment.
Considerable research has been done on Morton's toe which includes the big toe and the second toe and the tissues related to them.
This condition cannot be called a medical disorder but it points to a different shape of the foot, from a normal one, if there is any difference in the length between the big toe and the second toe.
A little variation is not uncommon and is not due to any internal maladjustments of bone.
Though not painful this foot problem causes considerable discomfort and causes formation of thick tissues around the base of the toes, this happens mostly at the time of walking.
The big toe is meant to take on the pressure from a person's weight when he is walking.
But due to the abnormal location of the joints of the big toe and the second toe, more pressure comes on the second toe, than normal.
If the second toe is found to be longer than the big toe, because of this problem it becomes a cause for trouble to people wearing shoes.
The shape of the shoes has to be modified to suit the new formation of toes, caused by Morton's toe.
This has a nuisance value also.
This foot condition should not be confused with a condition which is entirely different and is related to functioning of specialized cells transmitting nerve impulses.
On the face of it Morton's toe may not even sound like a disorder or affliction.
But medical opinion seems to be different.
The occurrence of this ailment is only in the case of a small percentage of the population but people who have bone related problems to contend with, it is advisable to seek medical help.
These people constitute a good percentage and it is feared that Morton's toe if left unattended may get complicated and lead to other bone related problems.
The bones in question or the toes are flat in a horizontal position and take a good amount of the body weight from them.
It has adverse effect on the ankle also, which gets twisted.
There are many more problems which will affect the leg and other parts of the legs if this condition is left unattended.
Even normal walking will create problems for the system.
All those complications can be avoided by proper treatment of Morton's toe with the advice and help of a qualified medical specialist.