Home > Encyclopedia of Medicine > Laceration Repair

Definition

A laceration is a wound caused by a sharp object producing edges that may be jagged, dirty, or bleeding. Lacerations most often affect the skin, but any tissue may be lacerated, including subcutaneous fat, tendon, muscle, or bone.

Purpose

A laceration should be repaired if it:

• continues to bleed after application of pressure for ten to fifteen minutes
• is more than one-eighth to one-fourth inch deep
• exposes fat, muscle, tendon, or bone
• causes a change in function surrounding the area of the laceration
• is dirty or has visible debris in it
• is located in an area where an unsightly scar is undesirable

Precautions

Lacerations are less likely to become infected if they are repaired soon after they occur. Many physicians will not repair a laceration that is more than eight hours old because the risk of infection is too great.