Avulsion injury

An avulsion injury is a cut or scrape that removes all the layers of the skin, exposing the fat or muscle. A common avulsion injury is scraping off all the skin on the tip of a finger or toe.

Avulsion injuries heal by first forming new skin on the edges of the wound and then healing from the edges into the middle. The larger the wound, the longer it takes to heal and the greater the risk of infection. If the piece of tissue that has been cut or scraped off is recovered and the person receives medical attention quickly, it can sometimes be sewn back on.