Ingrown toenails in children

Ingrown and curved toenails are among common lower limb problems in both children and adults. They may lead to painful complications and, not uncommonly, to permanent changes in the nail bed and lateral nail folds. The big toe is affected most commonly, although the problem may occur in all toes. A number of procedures have been described for correcting toenails, using either conservative or surgical approaches. Paediatricians are typically the first contact for patients suffering from toenail problems. These can be acute, resulting from a one-off improper nail trimming procedure or injury, and chronic which the parents of young patients are usually unable to deal with. In the past, the vast majority of patients were referred to surgical services since, in the pre-revolution era, contemporary techniques of correcting toenails were unavailable in this country. There are various conservative techniques for the treatment of ingrown toenails, including orthonyxia, which is the correction of toenails with braces. It is the goal of every foot care specialist to manage as many cases as possible with non-invasive procedures and, in particular, in a painless manner whenever it is feasible to proceed in that way.

Keywords: conservative treatment, ingrown toenail (unguis incarnatus), children, nail braces, orthonyxia.