Abstract:

Objective　To estimate the results of the treatment of short nail of fingers reconstructed by the 2nd , 3rd toe transplantation with the eponychial flap and eponychial resection.    Methods    The length and width of nail body were measured on 400 fingers, 160 2nd and 160 3rd toes of 40 normal adult persons(20 male, 20 female). The difference of the lengths between fingernail and toenail bodies, the width-to-length ratio of fingernail and toenail bodies and the difference of the length between fingernail and toenail bodies with the same width-to-length ratio were calculated, respectively. The results of the treatment of short nail of fingers reconstructed by the 2nd , 3rd toe transplantation with the eponychial flap and eponychial resection , which were reported previously by others, were evaluated again, taking consideration of the difference of the length between fingernail and toenail bodies, the difference of the length of fingernail and toenail bodies with the same width-to-length ratio.   Results    The length of the 2nd and 3rd toenail bodies was 3.7～4.5 mm, 4.8～5.5 mm, 5.6～6.3 mm, 5.9～6.8 mm, 6.5～8 mm shorter than the length of the little, ring, middle, index, thumb fingernail bodies, respectively Under the circumstances of the same width-to-length ratio, the length of the 2nd and 3rd toenail bodies was 4.7～6.6 mm, 3.7～4.7 mm, 3.6～4.6 mm, 4.4～5.6 mm, 3.0～4.5 mm shorter than the lengths of little, ring, middle, index and thumb fingernail body, respectively. The maximum increasing length of the transplanted 2nd and 3rd toenail bodies were 3mm postoperatively，which was less than half of the difference of the length between the toenail and thumb, index, middle fingernail bodies. The width-to-length ratio of the toenail body was not the same as that of the fingernail body as well.  Conclusions   It is still inconclusive that eponychial flap, eponchial resection were satisfying when they were applied to the thumb, index and middle fingers reconstructed by the 2nd and 3rd toe transplantation.

Key words: Short nail, Eponychial flap, Eponychial resection, Finger reconstructed by toe