Joint fusion is an effective treatment for pain and swelling but the joint motion is sacrificed. Joint replacement with prostheses has not been successful due to the small surface area available for high loading forces. Interposition arthroplasties with polyvinyl alcohol or soft tissue graft are emerging techniques with encouraging results.

Two of the recommend procedures are cheilectomy (kye-LEK-tuh-me) and joint fusion (arthrodesis). During cheilectomy, the surgeon removes bone spurs and other bony material from the MTP joint through an incision along the top of the joint. Sometimes a cut (osteotomy) is made in the big toe bone to improve the toe's upward movement.