Growth Disturbance of Nail Plate after a Metacarpal Fracture: Four Cases Report

Lee,  Dae Hee; Heo,  Youn Moo; Yi,  Jin Woong; Nam,  Hyo Jong; Sung,  Won Sub

doi:2013.18.4.167

Arch Hand Microsurg > Volume 18(4); 2013 > Article

Case Report

Journal of the Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand 2013;18(4):167-172.
Published online December 30, 2013.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12790/jkssh.2013.18.4.167

Growth Disturbance of Nail Plate after a Metacarpal Fracture: Four Cases Report

Dae Hee Lee, Youn Moo Heo, Jin Woong Yi, Hyo Jong Nam, Won Sub Sung

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea. hurym1973@hanmail.net

Received: 16 September 2013 • Revised: 24 November 2013 • Accepted: 3 December 2013

Abstract

The fingernail is damaged and deformed by various causes such as crushing, laceration, avulsion injury, infection, tumor and personal habit. The growth disturbance of nail plate may be caused by systemic diseases or trauma without a direct injury of the fingernail and is usually found in accident. We experienced abnormal growth of nail plate in four patients with previous fractures of metacarpal bone. At about 8 weeks after trauma, a swelling and tenderness on the eponychium and a growth disturbance of affected nail plates occurred. All affected fingernails were treated with the nail extraction. The authors report four cases of growth disturbance of nail plates which obtained the satisfactory results by using the nail extraction.