| 摘要 |
An article having the nature of a splint and/or mold which is adapted for temporary use on the injured digit of a person's hand or foot in order to foster beneficial healing after a nail plate has been removed. The splint includes a generally elongated sheet of thin (i.e., 0.020 inch) polypropylene or the like, which is inert to body fluids. It has a generally compound curvature so that it approximates the natural shape of a human nail plate, and has on its lower surface a smooth, concave shape which is adapted for contacting the healing nail bed. The sheet has a proximal end that is approximately perpendicular to the sides of said sheet, and the sheet has "square" corners which fit within the eponychial fold of the person's digit-for the purpose of preserving the fold and maintaining its size. The splint also has a structure depending from the two sides of the sheet for engaging the tissue of the person's nail bed; this structure holds the tissue and inhibits it from contracting significantly during healing of the nail bed. The healing nail bed is restricted to taking on the smooth shape of the juxtaposed sheet as it heals, and a healed nail bed will have a size that tends to be almost as large as its pre-injured size.
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