Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Lewis Thomson on 11/01/2018 13:55:06
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Darren asks:
On a recent Naked Scientists episode (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/quiz-do-longer-fingers-have-faster-growing-nails), you mentioned that nails grow faster on longer fingers and toes. When I was younger, I had my second toe on both feet shortened as they too long were causing pain when wearing shoes. My supplementary questions to your previous episode are:
- If a toe is shortened will the nail grow more slowly due to the toe being shortened? I haven’t been able to see any noticeable change but it’s not something I have recorded over any length of time (no pun intended :) )
- If a toe or finger is transplanted from a donor, does the nail's growth rate still remain in proportion to its length or does the growth rate reflect the rate of the toe/finger it has replaced?
Anyone know the answer?
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I think the amount of evidence on whether digit shortening affects rates of nail growth is going to be severely limited and hence probably insufficient to provide you with a decent sample size to make a valid conclusion!
Sorry for this cop-out. However, it is worth mentioning that if trauma or surgery to a digit involves the "nail plate", which is the assemblage of stem cells from which the nascent nail tissue issues, then growth, shape and structure will certainly be affected, often permanently.