Lateral Supporting Ligament of the Distal Phalanx

Abstract

A 49-year-old woman complained of 3 months of constant aching pain deep to the ingrown medial nail margin of her right hallux that was unaffected by shoe wear. Physical examination disclosed no purulence, discoloration, or obvious acute inflammation; an incurved medial nail plate was seen. There was mild chronic thickening of the medial nail fold. Tenderness was maximal 2 to 3 mm plantar to the medial edge of the nail. By roentgenogram ( Fig. 1 ), bony projections were seen arcing from the distal phalangeal tuft and the proximal metaphyseal flare toward each other. This was considered to be a “normal” radiological variant. A partial medial onychectomy and matricectomy (Winograd procedure) was performed. Further dissection 1 to 2 mm deeper along the medial phalangeal border revealed a 1-mm wide longitudinal ligament extending from the phalangeal distal tuft to the proximal metaphyseal flare. Bony projections and ligament were excised. The wound healed satisfactorily, and symptoms ceased.