How Do You Fix A Broken Nail?

Discussion Distal digits, especially of the hand, are important as they provide support for pinching and grip, give tactile sensation and contribute to cosmesis. Trauma to the distal digit and nailbed ranges from significant trauma with digital crush injuries or amputation to minor broken nails causing only annoyance. Most injuries especially in children involve the hand especially the middle finger. The dominant hand is more common if the child has a hand-preference. Usually they occur indoors especially being caused by being pinched by a door. Significant trauma requires surgical intervention and may require specialty surgical intervention by a hand specialist. Survival rates for distal digital amputations with re-implantation vary based on several factors. A 2011 systematic review of fingertip amputations found an overall 86% survival rate. Clean-cut amputations had higher survival rates than crush or crush-avulsion amputations. Actual location along the fingertip was less of a factor, but vein repair in different areas had improved survival. Nerve repair did not make a difference and recovery was good “…because of the short distance the regenerating terminal branches of the purely sensory distal nerves have to travel to reach the distal targets.” The authors note, “…the phenomenon of adjacent and spontaneous neurotization may play a role especially in younger patients.” In this systematic review, 98% returned to work, 2-point discrimin...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news