Nail matrix scars that result in nail dystrophy resemble cutaneous scars: A new nail trauma model

Background: Few studies have described how the injury affects the nail soft tissue under the nail plate. Nail matrix scar is poorly known.

Objective: To establish a stable rat nail loss model in a simple way, and to discuss the comparability of this model.

Methods: A sterile cotton swab dipped in a 10% NaOH solution was used to burn the entire nail matrix and bed plane region, and the specimens were examined on day 3, 7, 14, and 28.

Results: After avulsion of the nail plate, the eponychia and matrix stuck together without any tissue destruction. On day 28, all claws of the experimental group were observed to be permanently damaged, except for one claw malformed regeneration. All impaired nail regeneration had deficiency or functional loss of NMSCs and shared similar characteristics with the cutaneous scars.

Conclusions: The scar formation of nail matrix was a fundamental reason to nail deficiency of rat or human, providing a research basis for further mechanism or treatment study of nail defect diseases.