The nail plate is the hard, translucent plate of tightly packed keratin that forms the visible nail on the back of the fingertip (and toe). It is made by the nail matrix and slides forward over the nail bed as it grows. Fingernails grow about 3 mm a month, so a whole fingernail takes about 6 months to replace; toenails grow far more slowly.
| Location | On the dorsal surface of the distal phalanx of each finger and toe |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Dorsal branches of the proper palmar digital nerves (median and ulnar nerves) |
| Blood Supply | Dorsal branches of the proper palmar digital arteries; Proper palmar digital arteries |
| Venous drainage |
|
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Protects the fingertip, provides counter-pressure that improves fine touch and pinch, and helps pick up small objects.
Changes in the nail plate can reflect general health: spoon-shaped nails in iron deficiency, clubbing in lung and heart disease, pits in psoriasis, and transverse grooves (Beau lines) after a severe illness. Fungal infection thickens and discolours the plate. Pigmented streaks running the length of a nail are usually benign but can occasionally be melanoma, especially if new or widening.
Fungal infection of the nail causing thickening, discolouration and crumbling, more common in toenails.
Blood trapped under the nail after a crush injury, causing throbbing pain and dark discolouration.
The edge of the nail plate growing into the side fold, causing pain and infection, usually of the big toe.
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