Can A New Brace Provide A Treatment Alternative For Ingrown Toenails?
While the matrixectomy is a common procedure of choice for ingrown toenails, researchers from Germany believe an orthonyxia procedure, delivered via a new brace, may be more effective in treating these toenails. In a study, which was recently published in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association (JAPMA), the researchers found that patients who wore the brace experienced reduced pain and a quicker return to work than those who underwent surgery. However, a couple of DPMs are skeptical. The recent study in JAPMA examined 41 patients with ingrown toenails. Twenty received the Emmert surgical procedure, which is a standard procedure in Germany. Twenty-one patients received orthonyxia via the VHO-Osthold Brace. Orthonyxia consists of implanting a small metal brace or plate onto the dorsum of the nail, according to the researchers. Although both groups had pain at similar levels before treatment, study results showed pain resulting from treatment was “significantly lower” in
