What is a laceration?
Crack wounds are mechanical wounds. As the name suggests, the skin is torn open by the application of force, usually by a blunt object. This results in uneven wound edges and tissue bridges, i.e. the tissue under the skin is not completely separated, but in some cases is still connected to the opposite side like bridges. As a rule, lacerations also cause bruising, which is referred to as crush injuries. Crack wounds can be very deep and bleed a lot.
Causes of a laceration
Crack wounds are caused by tensile forces and blunt force caused by a blunt object. Lacerations are also frequently found in traffic accidents. If high pressure is applied to the skin, it gives way and tears at a certain point.
If, in addition, tension is exerted along the skin surface, the skin layers shift against each other and tear additionally. This can occur through all skin layers except for the muscle or bone. Since the force is not applied evenly, uneven wound edges occur. Tissue bridges can remain in the depth.
What is the difference between a laceration and a laceration?
In the case of a laceration, only the uppermost skin layers usually tear/burst open. This is especially the case in areas of the body with little subcutaneous fatty tissue, where the skin lies directly on bones, such as the head, knee, shin or elbow. A laceration can also affect deeper skin layers, in the worst case down to the muscle or bone.
Deeper down, tissue bridges are often visible and the edges of the wound are frayed or uneven. Lacerations can occur on any part of the body. However, areas with little subcutaneous tissue are also predisposed to this.
Localization
Crack wounds on the finger can be caused by hitting the finger with a hammer, for example. The tissue is squeezed by the impact until it tears. The transition from squeeze wound to laceration is often fluid and cannot be distinguished exactly.
Here too, the wound edges are uneven and can only be adapted (rejoined) with difficulty. There is usually not much subcutaneous fatty tissue on the finger, which would dampen the blow. The skin is quickly squeezed between the blunt object and bone and tears open.
The finger swells very quickly and can bleed a lot. Especially the hands and fingers are supplied with many small nerves. Injuries to the fingers are therefore very painful.
It comes to throbbing pain especially if the fingernail is also affected and blood accumulates under the nail. Lacerations of the knee are usually caused by falling. When falling on hard ground, the tissue between the floor and the kneecap is squeezed until the skin bursts open.
If you also slide slightly over the floor, tensile forces are added, which tear open the skin and deeper layers of tissue. The knee swells and pain can cause limited mobility in the knee joint. In addition, falling on the knee can always result in a kneecap fracture.
Since the skin above the knee is always in motion when walking, wound healing is more difficult and sometimes takes longer. The knee should first be immobilized. Lacerations of the shin bone are also usually caused by a fall or a kick. Here, too, the tissue under the skin is very thin and is therefore easily bruised and torn open. Wounds caused by falls are often dirty from dirt on the floor and must be cleaned carefully.
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