Premier Podiatry

Dorsal Corns

The skin is able to adapt and withstand constant, repetitive irritation in order to protect from damage / blistering. Pressure and friction, often related to shoes or underlying foot deformity will cause the skin to thicken and form callous.

If the amount of pressure is over a small area, a condensed area of hard skin is formed and this is called a corn. The top of the foot is termed the dorsum of the foot and dorsal corns are generally found on the top of the small joints of the toes. These are often due to:

• Hammertoes
• Mallet toes
• Retracted toes

Contrary to popular myth, corns do not have roots and therefore removal of the corn by careful scalpel debridement, does not cure the problem. If the pressure persists, the corn will return.