Gutter Splint For Ingrown Toenail

Isolation of the nail plate from the ulcer bed using a gutter.

Gutter splint for ingrown toenail.

Physicians may apply a gutter splint to the ingrown nail edge by slitting vinyl intravenous tubing and cutting it to fit with one end cut diagonally for smooth insertion14 figure 2 8. Isolation of the nail plate from the ulcer bed using a gutter shaped splint may improve healing. Anesthetize the toe either by topical anesthetic or by nerve blocks not always necessary for mild cases. This method requires anesthesia.

In the setting of normal anatomy they are usually treated conservatively but the presence of a sharp edge of the nail in the ulcer may prevent wound healing. A conservative method to gutter splint ingrown toenails ingrown toenails can be due to trauma improper nail cutting and or anatomic abnormalities of the nail apparatus. Toenail splinting the referenced article describes splinting the toenail essentially lifting the offending edge of the toenail so subsequent growth does not push into the tissue. Conservative approaches for the treatment of ingrown toenails without infection include placing a cotton wisp dental floss or gutter splint with or without acrylic nail under the ingrown nail.

In the classic gutter splint method the ingrown edge of the nail plate is freed up to the extreme proximal part and then splinted using a gutter.