The treatment of onychogryphosis of hand nails by total matricectomy and dorsal V-Y advancement flap

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to report the outcomes of dorsal V-Y advancement flap technique used for the reconstruction of surgical defects following total matricectomy performed for the onychogryphosis of hand nails. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 18 consecutive patients (10 males, 8 females; mean age 38.4 years; range, 24 to 41 years) with 20 onychogryphotic hand nails who underwent total matricectomy and dorsal V-Y advancement flap technique were analyzed retrospectively between June 2015 and March 2018. The Mann- Whitney U test was used to compare the pre- and postoperative Quick Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (Quick DASH) questionnaire scores while postoperative satisfaction rate was also evaluated. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period of the patients was 15.3 months. The etiology was finger trauma in eight and surgical complication of recurrent paronychia drainage in four cases, while the remaining six were idiopathic. The mean time to return to work was 5.2 weeks, and the mean pre- and postoperative Quick DASH scores were 0.97 and 3.45, respectively, with a statistically significant difference. The postoperative satisfaction was rated as excellent in 16, good in one, and moderate in one case. CONCLUSION: The dorsal V-Y advancement flap technique can be performed reliably due to its good soft tissue coverage, satisfactory cosmetic and functional outcomes, and allowing a short time to return to work.