Morel–Lavallée syndrome secondary to high energy trauma

Abstract

Morel-Lavallée syndrome is a clinical condition not frequently seen in medical practice, with a prevalence of approximately 8.3% in acetabular fractures. It has a male predominance, with an approximate male-to-female ratio of 2:1, which could be due to the male predominance observed in multiple traumas. However, these injuries often go undiagnosed or are sometimes diagnosed later, thus underestimating their true prevalence. This article presents the clinical case of a young adult patient diagnosed with Morel-Lavallée syndrome in the left lower limb secondary to trauma to the thigh and left hip from a traffic accident. This required surgical treatment due to the functional limitation it generated and the high risk of the hematoma abscessing, leading to septic arthritis of the hip, sepsis, or irreversible functional limitations.