Degloving

Degloving is a severe injury where the skin and underlying tissues, often including muscle, are torn away from the deeper structures like bone, resulting in a flap-like detachment. This can occur traumatically, typically due to crushing, shearing, or avulsion forces. The severity of degloving injuries can range from localized skin loss to extensive damage involving large areas of the body. These injuries are challenging to treat and often require reconstructive surgery, skin grafts, and extensive rehabilitation due to significant blood vessel disruption and tissue damage which may result in amputation if not treated. It is a horrific injury that leads to psychological trauma and in worst cases death.

Degloving meaning with examples

• After the industrial accident, the worker suffered a degloving injury to his hand when it got caught in the machinery. The rapid shearing force tore the skin away, exposing the tendons and bone which resulted in an emergency surgery.
• A car accident resulted in a degloving injury of the cyclist's leg, where the tire skidded. The impact completely removed the skin and underlying tissue from the bone, requiring multiple skin grafts.
• The construction worker sustained a degloving injury on his arm when the heavy object he was handling crushed his arm. The injury was particularly serious due to the disruption of major blood vessels.
• The motorcyclist's skin suffered a degloving injury after the accident, with the road acting as an abrasive surface. The friction peeled the skin away from a large portion of his body, requiring skin grafts and significant recovery.
• Due to the nature of the trauma, the dog suffered a degloving injury on his paw after being caught in the trap. It required veterinary care to repair the tissue damage, resulting in a difficult recovery.