Degloving
Encyclopedia
A degloving injury is a type of avulsion
in which an extensive section of skin
is completely torn off the underlying tissue, severing its blood
supply. It is named by analogy to the process of removing a glove
.
Typically, degloving injuries affect the extremities and limbs; this is because any injury which would induce degloving of the head or torso is likely to be lethal. However, controlled facial degloving is often featured in plastic surgery
. Degloved skin is effectively dead, and should be treated as a skin graft.
Many small mammals are able to induce degloving of their tail
s to escape capture; this is comparable to tail autotomy
in reptiles.
Avulsion injury
In medicine, an avulsion is an injury in which a body structure is forcibly detached. It most commonly refers to a surface trauma where all layers of the skin have been torn away, exposing the underlying structures...
in which an extensive section of skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
is completely torn off the underlying tissue, severing its blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
supply. It is named by analogy to the process of removing a glove
Glove
A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each...
.
Typically, degloving injuries affect the extremities and limbs; this is because any injury which would induce degloving of the head or torso is likely to be lethal. However, controlled facial degloving is often featured in plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
. Degloved skin is effectively dead, and should be treated as a skin graft.
Many small mammals are able to induce degloving of their tail
Tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
s to escape capture; this is comparable to tail autotomy
Autotomy
Autotomy or self amputation is the act whereby an animal severs one or more of its own appendages, usually as a self-defense mechanism designed to elude a predator's grasp...
in reptiles.