What is the medical term for tissue that is torn from the body and may hang off?

The term "avulsion" refers to a type of injury where tissue is forcibly detached from the body. This can occur in various scenarios, such as traumatic accidents, where skin, muscles, or even organs can be torn away completely, sometimes leaving them hanging from the body.

In contrast, a laceration describes a tear in the skin or tissue but does not necessarily imply that the tissue is hanging off—it's often a jagged or irregular wound. Punctures involve a wound made by a sharp object that penetrates but does not typically cause the tissue to tear away from the body. An incision is a clean cut, usually made by a surgical instrument, that does not involve tearing or detaching tissue.

Thus, avulsion accurately captures the nature of an injury where a part of the body has been torn away, which is why it is the correct answer.