title: Ligamentary structure of the base of the nail.
abstract: The authors report the results of 115 dissections of the base of the distal phalanx of fingers and toes. In 85% of cases including hypoplastic supernumerary digits, there is a connective ligament-like structure. It is a dorsal expansion of the lateral ligament of the distal inter-phalangeal joint arising from the intermediate phalanx and ending in the matrix and the lunula. This ligament may have a role in biomechanical strains on the nail. It can explain some dystrophic nails associated with some malpositioned joints in fingers or toes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Université Paris Vl, UER, Pitié-Salpétrière, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guéro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guichard
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Fraitag
mesh_terms: D005385:Fingers / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009262:Nails / Q000033:anatomy & histology*