A Case of Successfully Treated Onychogryphosis: Traction Osteophyte Removal with Inverted T Incision and Fusiform Excision of Hyponychium

Onychogryphosis is a disorder of nail plate growth, which most commonly involves the toenails. It is characterized by opaque, yellow-brown thickening of the nail plate with associated marked convexity and elongation. Treatment for onychogryphosis can be conservative or operative depending on the cause and medical status of the patient. A 30-year-old male presented with onychogryphosis of the right and left toenails. Since the patient had shown recurrence after simple nail avulsion several years ago, the inverted T incision method and fusiform excision of the hypertrophic hyponychium were performed. No recurrence was observed during the 3-year follow-up period. Our results showed that nail avulsion combined with traction osteophyte removal is a suitable surgical method for treating onychogryphosis.