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Injuries to the Nail Apparatus

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Fingertip Injuries

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Abstract

The fingernail serves many functions during everyday use of the hand that are often taken for granted. The perionychium is a multifaceted structure, the anatomic details and physiologic function complexities of which must be firmly grasped by those surgeons wishing to effectively treat injuries to the fingertip. The nail itself serves to protect the fingertip, regulate peripheral circulation, and enhance the tactile sensibilities that allow humans to perform very fine motor functions. Injuries to the nail apparatus cause functional deficits and cosmetic deformities. Because of the relative prominence of the nail on the fingertip, the perionychium is the most frequently injured part of the hand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Institute for Plastic Surgery, 747 N. Rutledge St, 62702, Springfield, IL, USA

    Nicole Z. Sommer MD, M. Colin Rymer MD & Ryan W. Schmucker MD

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  1. Nicole Z. Sommer MD
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  2. M. Colin Rymer MD
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  3. Ryan W. Schmucker MD
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Correspondence to Nicole Z. Sommer MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Uniformed Services University Health Sciences Center, Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Leo M. Rozmaryn

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Sommer, N., Rymer, M., Schmucker, R. (2015). Injuries to the Nail Apparatus. In: Rozmaryn, L. (eds) Fingertip Injuries. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13227-3_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13227-3_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-13226-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-13227-3

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