Degloving injuries in children.

ABSTRACT

Degloving injuries are uncommon but serious and are being encountered with increasing frequency in children. A 5-year review of experience with degloving injuries on the Orthopaedic Service at the Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada) Children's Hospital revealed 16 patients who had sustained this trauma in association with fractures. Twelve of these children had typical anatomical degloving. However, six patients had an associated concealed degloving or so-called "physiological degloving," with disruption of the underlying skin vasculature but no actual disruption of the skin surface. The most common causes of degloving injuries were being run over by a motor vehicle and farm machinery accidents. The diagnosis and proper management of the degloved extremity, especially when accompanied by underlying fracture, are essential in children if morbidity and limb loss are to be minimized.