Distractable has a great post on the relevance of Physics to clinical practice - it's on old post but a good one and it came back to mind cause a friend got an ingrown toenail. Dr. Rob (distractable) discusses the physics of ingrown toenails and also gives us the following clinical rules (yes, this is on the USMLE):
This is why the presence of an ingrown toenail, which is evidence of a hyper-gravitational podiatric state, is invariably accompanied by the following:
People step on them – scientists have proven that a foot with an ingrown nail is 10 times more likely to be stepped on than those without.
Heavy objects are kicked – careful analysis has shown that objects such as coffee tables, lamps, and even large appliances move into the path of a person with an ingrown nail.
I would like to add to this the Ulnar Rule, which is observed by anyone who has taken Anatomy. Once you learn that the Ulnar nerve (or mulnar as some like to call it) is in fact your "funny bone" you are doomed to a life of hitting it at least once a week. What was once an annual event is now a regular part of your life. Thank you Gross Anatomy.
That's all for now - time to get back to Renal.
1 comments:
Improper trimming of toenails can cause an ingrown toenail as corners of the nail begin to dig into the skin. Nails should be trimmed straight across, not rounded and not too short.
Disorders such as fungal nail infections can cause a thickened or widened toenail to develop, leading to an ingrown toenail.
Either an acute injury near the nail or anything that causes the nail to be damaged repetitively (such as playing sports, e.g. football) can also cause an ingrown toenail.
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