Incurvated nail. Does the phalanx determine nail plate shape?

This study examines the relationship between the shape of the nail plate of the hallux and the base of its distal phalanx. Twenty-three cadaver specimens were examined anatomically for nine variables. These variables represented the following: height and width of the distal phalanx base; height and width of the proximal aspect of the nail plate; distal shape of the nail plate; ratio of the nail plate height and width and structural index of the nail plate. Statistics for the variables are presented using correlation coefficients between nail structural index and bone structural index. The study shows a high and significant correlation between the shape of the proximal aspect of the nail plate and that of the phalangeal base.