Can collateral toe ligaments be surgically repaired?

This morning, I was on a second opinion call with a runner who had a couple of different injuries in his foot. 

The main problem keeping him from running was an injury to the collateral ligaments in one of his toes.

"The toe feels weak and unstable." He is understandably worried that the instability is going to cause a problem if he runs.

He was asking me:

“Well, can we surgically repair the ligaments?”

Should I have surgery to repair the collateral ligaments in my toe if I am a runner? 

Well, that is a great question and that is what we're talking about today on the Doc On The Run Podcast.