Podiatry Medical Assistant Practice Test

Removing the nail plate is nail avulsion. This procedure directly lifts or takes out the entire nail plate from the nail bed to relieve pressure and pain from a painful or ingrown nail, allowing the tissue to heal. Partial avulsion can be used when only part of the nail needs removal, while full avulsion removes the entire plate. The other terms describe different surgical aims: a nail matrixectomy destroys or removes the nail matrix to prevent new nail growth; an excisional matrixectomy removes part of the matrix and nail bed to stop regrowth; and an ingrown nail is the condition itself, not a procedure.