Which type of soft-tissue injury might require stitches or sutures for proper healing?

Deep lacerations are injuries where the skin and underlying tissues are cut deeply, often requiring medical intervention for proper healing. When a laceration is deep enough, it can compromise the integrity of the skin and potentially damage underlying structures, such as fat layers, muscles, or even nerves. Stitches or sutures are necessary to bring the edges of the wound together, enabling the body to heal effectively and reducing the risk of infection.

In contrast, bruises are essentially collections of blood under the skin resulting from broken blood vessels and do not need stitches. Minor cuts, while they may need treatment like cleaning and possibly adhesive strips, typically do not require sutures unless they are deeper than superficial. Scald injuries, which are burns caused by contact with hot liquids, also do not usually require sutures since they are treated differently, focusing more on preventing infection and promoting healing of the burn.