I’m a podologist from Serbia (podology is the non-surgical, nail and skin side of foot care here). I’d like to show you a correction technique I published this year and hear what podiatrists think about it.

The case: left hallux, deformity of the nail plate on the lateral side, the edge starting to press into the nail fold. No acute inflammation.

The brace is made individually from steel wire and an elastic active element. Here I used elastoforce, the elastomeric chain orthodontists use on dental braces (medical polyurethane). In other cases I use nitinol springs. Hooks fix the system to the nail edges, and the elastic part keeps constant tension on the plate. The idea is to replace the rigid wire element with an elastic one, so the tension is dosed and keeps working as the nail changes shape.

Fitting took 15 minutes, no anesthesia needed (the patient felt nothing).

In the study I measured nail plate width and tension force every two weeks for two months. Width increased by 2 to 4.1 mm over eight weeks, and patients reported no discomfort or problems at work. Follow-up was two months, so I don’t have long-term recurrence data yet.

Full text in English (open access): https://www.ilizarov-journal.com/jour/article/view/3455/3960
Rozov D.O. Genij Ortopedii. 2026;32(2):254-261. https://doi.org/10.18019/1028-4427-2026-32-2-254-261

Questions for you: do you use nail braces at all before going to partial nail avulsion or matrixectomy?

Critique is welcome, that’s why I’m posting here.

I am a pre-med student who recently discovered podiatry, and I am lowkey more interested in it than the DO/MD path rn. It seems like working hours are a lot better compared to like orthopedic surgeons who specialize in foot and ankle, it feels like there's a lot less podiatrist so you get to be a bigger fish in a small pond. I also love the idea of specializing in it from the beginning and having a lot of expertise in this one specific area. But the point of my post is what are the cons of podiatry I should watch out for?