Retrospective case series of 19 patients with acute Morel-Lavallee lesions treated with percutaneous drainage and débridement within 3 days of injury. Asks whether this minimally invasive approach — using limited incisions, brush débridement, pulsed lavage, and closed suction drain — can safely replace open débridement and allow concurrent or staged fracture fixation.
When you encounter a Morel-Lavallee lesion — soft fluctuant ecchymosis over the greater trochanter after pelvic trauma. Percutaneous drainage within 3 days is a viable first-line approach: it avoids the morbidity of open débridement and preserves the subdermal plexus.
Percutaneous pelvic fixation can proceed in the same setting, but open approaches through or near the lesion should wait until the drain has been out for at least 24 hours.
Retrospective case series of 19 patients with acute Morel-Lavallee lesions treated with percutaneous drainage and débridement within 3 days of injury. Asks whether this minimally invasive approach — using limited incisions, brush débridement, pulsed lavage, and closed suction drain — can safely replace open débridement and allow concurrent or staged fracture fixation.
When you encounter a Morel-Lavallee lesion — soft fluctuant ecchymosis over the greater trochanter after pelvic trauma. Percutaneous drainage within 3 days is a viable first-line approach: it avoids the morbidity of open débridement and preserves the subdermal plexus.
Percutaneous pelvic fixation can proceed in the same setting, but open approaches through or near the lesion should wait until the drain has been out for at least 24 hours.