The Morel-Lavallee Lesion: Review and Update on Diagnosis and Management

Morel-Lavallee lesion is a closed soft tissue degloving injury usually associated with high-velocity trauma. It most commonly occurs in the thigh, hip, and pelvis. Because such lesions are prone to a missed or delayed diagnosis, it may present a potential risk of infection at the fracture site once it progresses. Therefore, timely identification and management of Morel-Lavallee lesion is crucial. Moreover, there are no relevant guidelines for the treatment of Morel-Lavallee lesion. Based on the above facts, we reviewed the etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, imaging features, treatment, prognosis, and complications of Morel-Lavallee lesion with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of Morel-Lavallee lesion, increasing awareness of this injury among orthopaedic surgeons, and thus providing a management algorithm that can be applied to this injury.