Association between Onychogryphosis and Lower Extremity Complications: A Multicenter Cohort Study Using TriNetX

Onychogryphosis has been associated with chronic foot injury and vascular disease. We evaluated whether onychogryphosis is associated with increased 5-year risk of lower extremity complications.

Using TriNetX Research Network patients with onychogryphosis were propensity score matched 1:1 to controls for age, sex, race, obesity, type II diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and smoking. Cox proportional hazards models estimated 5-year hazard ratios (HRs) for lower extremity complications, with subgroup analyses for diabetes and peripheral artery disease (PAD).

After matching (174,537 per cohort), onychogryphosis was associated with increased 5-year risk of foot/toe amputation procedures (HR 2.798, 95% CI: 2.516-3.111), ulcer (HR 2.108, 95% CI: 2.023-2.196), cellulitis (HR 1.743, 95% CI: 1.685-1.803), osteomyelitis (HR 1.673, 95% CI: 1.583-1.769), and gangrene (HR 1.485, 95% CI: 1.382-1.597) (all p < 0.0001). Associations remained significant in diabetes and PAD restricted analyses.

Onychogryphosis was associated with substantially increased 5-year risk of major lower extremity complications in a large matched cohort, with consistent findings among patients with type II diabetes and PAD. Identification of onychogryphosis should prompt focused lower extremity assessment and brief risk screening with a low threshold for vascular or primary care referral in high-risk patients.