Which procedure permanently removes some or all of the nail plate by applying phenol to the root after the plate has been removed?

• A. Nail avulsion
• B. Excisional matrixectomy
• C. Ingrown nail
• D. Nail matrixectomy

Answer: (D)

Destroying the nail-producing tissue, the nail matrix, is what makes the removal permanent. After the nail plate is taken off, applying phenol to the matrix chemically cauterizes and ablates it, so the nail cannot regrow in that area. Nail avulsion alone just removes the plate but leaves the matrix intact, so the nail can regrow. An ingrown nail is a condition, not a procedure. Excisional matrixectomy removes the matrix surgically but does not necessarily involve phenol for permanent destruction in the same way. Since the scenario specifies applying phenol to the root after plate removal, the procedure described is nail matrixectomy with phenolization.