Nail Pathology eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: Human fingernails, located on the dorsal aspect of the terminal 40% of the distal phalanx of each finger, are dynamic and physiologically important organs of the hand. Trauma to the fingertip and nail unit remains the most common of all hand injuries. The fingertip is one of the last anatomic structures to be pulled away when closing doors or using saws, machines, chains, or hammers. The long finger is most commonly involved, followed by the ring, index, little finger, and thumb (Hashimoto, 1971). The distal phalanx provides bony support for the nail bed and is fractured in 50% of fingertip injuries. Loss of nail bed integrity can produce a permanent and significantly dysfunctional deformity of the fingernail. Therefore, the fingernail unit must be appreciated and primary anatomic repair of nail bed injuries must be provided whenever possible.
Synonyms and related keywords: nail bed injuries, fingernail injuries, nail deformity, friction avulsions, crush injuries, complex lacerations, traumatic nail deformities, subungual hematoma, simple and stellate lacerations of the nail bed, avulsion injuries, nonadherent nail deformity, split nail deformity, hook-nail deformity, linear ridging deformity, pincer nail deformity
Neumeister, Danikas & Wilhelmi 2004