Anatomy & DisordersQuestion 61 of 100
A client tells you that months ago she slammed her finger in a car door, and ever since, the new nail has grown in with a permanent ridge and a twisted shape. Which nail structure was most likely damaged?
a.The nail bed
b.The hyponychium
c.The matrix
d.The free edge
Explanation
The matrix is the only tissue that produces new nail cells, so an injury there can change the shape of every nail that grows out afterward, sometimes permanently. The nail bed only supports the plate as it slides forward; it does not manufacture new nail. The hyponychium and the free edge are at the fingertip end, far from where new nail is formed.
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