Classification of skin tears Payne Martin system

Category 1

Skin tears without tissue loss

1 A- Linear

• Full thickness ( only category with full thickness)

• Occurs on the wrinkle area of the skin

• epidermis and dermis pulled apart exposing tissue below

1 B- Flap Type

• Partial thickness

• Epidermis and dermis are separated

• Flap can be approximated so that no more than 1 mm of dermis exposed

• ( flap can cover a majority of the tear)

Category 2

Skin tears with  Partial skin loss

<25% or less of the flap is lost

a little less then a quarter

75% or more of wound can be covered by the flap

( a little more than cat 1 but not extreme

Category 2A

Category  2B

More than a quarter 25% of the epidermal flap is lost

Category 3

Skin tears with complete tissue loss

There is NO epidermal flap