J Hand Surg Eur Vol 2011 Sep 1;36(7):615-7. Epub 2011 Jul 1.

Am J Emerg Med 2006 Nov;24(7):875-7

Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

An injury to a finger or toe can result in a collection of blood under the nail plate that if unrelieved can cause extreme discomfort due to pressure. In this case, a 47-year-old man developed a subungual hematoma of the right thumb due to a crush injury. Controlled nail trephination was performed using a uniquely designed drill that penetrated the nail plate without breaching the nail bed. Read More

J Hand Surg Am 1999 Nov;24(6):1166-70

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Science, Little Rock 72205, USA.

Fifty-three fingers in 52 children were divided into 2 groups, operative and nonoperative, after fingernail crush injury. Criteria for inclusion into the study were an intact nail and nail margin with subungual hematoma and no previous nail abnormality. The length of the follow-up period averaged longer than 2 years for each group. Read More

J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 1989 Nov;79(11):566-8

An improved approach to subungual hematoma evacuation has been presented. Hand-held cautery is a cost-effective, precise method of treatment of subungual hematoma. Its use decreases the likelihood of unnecessary delay in the regrowth of the nail plate and secondary dystrophy that might result from pressure on the matrix caused by accumulated blood under the nail. Read More