Where are splinter hemorrhages typically located?

Splinter hemorrhages are small, linear streaks of bleeding that occur underneath the nails, and they are typically oriented lengthwise in the direction of nail growth. This particular alignment is due to the way the blood vessels beneath the nail matrix can sustain trauma or damage, leading to the characteristic pattern of these hemorrhages.

The lengthwise orientation corresponds with the natural growth direction of the nail, which grows from the nail matrix at the base toward the tip. As the nail grows, any trauma that leads to bleeding manifests as splinter-shaped marks that follow this direction, making option B the correct choice.

Other options like across the nail or on the cuticle do not accurately describe the typical presentation of splinter hemorrhages, as they are not typically found in those areas. Additionally, while splinter hemorrhages can occur under the nail bed, their defining characteristic is their alignment along the growth direction.