Nail Plate and Bed Reconstruction for Pincer Nail Deformity

Pincer nail deformity was first defined as a transverse overcurvature by Cornelius and Shellery in 1968. 1) A pincer nail compresses the nailbed increasing pain during walking or exercising and causes cosmetic problems. It commonly develops on the lateral, medial, and bilateral sides of the big toe; it can also develop on the other toes and fingers. It is sometimes confused with an ingrown nail. A pincer nail presents as a deformity where the nail width decreases while the nail plate height increases. By contrast, an ingrown nail is a painful inflammatory condition and does not lead to severe deformity. It is a condition where the nail widens and compresses the sides of the nail bed. lthough many treatments are available for pincer nail deformity, the nail plate and bed reconstruction technique we devised differs from previous surgical techniques that correct the deformity as horizontally as possible and insert the nail fold underneath the nail bed. Here, we report this novel surgical treatment method for pincer nail deformity.