OBJECTIVETo review current knowledge of the Morel-Lavallee lesion (MLL) to help clinicians become familiar with this entity. Familiarization may decrease missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses. It could also help steer the clinician to the proper treatment choice.

DATA SOURCESA search was performed via PubMed and EMBASE from 1966 to July 2013 using the following keywords: Morel-Lavallee lesion, closed degloving injury, concealed degloving injury, Morel-Lavallee effusion, Morel-Lavallee hematoma, posttraumatic pseudocyst, posttraumatic soft tissue cyst.

STUDY SELECTIONChinese and English language literatures relevant to the subject were collected. Their references were also reviewed.

RESULTSMorel-Lavallee lesion is a relatively rare condition involving a closed degloving injury. It is characterized by a filled cystic cavity created by separation of the subcutaneous tissue from the underlying fascia. Apart from the classic location over the region of the greater trochanter, MLLs have been described in other parts of the body. The natural history of MLL has not yet been established. The lesion may decrease in volume, remain stable, enlarge progressively or show a recurrent pattern. Diagnosis of MLL was often missed or delayed. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging have great value in the diagnosis of MLL. Treatment of MLL has included compression, local aspiration, open debridement, and sclerodesis. No standard treatment has been established.

CONCLUSIONSA diagnosis of MLL should be suspected when a soft, fluctuant area of skin or chronic recurrent fluid collection is found in a region exposed to a previous shear injury. Clinicians and radiologists should be aware of both the acute and chronic appearances to make the correct diagnosis. Treatment decisions should base on association with fractures, the condition of the lesion, symptom and desire of the patient.

Humans ; Radiography ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging

Fat Embolism is a rare complication of multiple long bone fracture or extensive soft tissue injury. The pathogenesis of fat embolism has been poorly understood and still its definite pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment were not fully established. Recently fat embolism considered as a post traumatic respiratory failure. Monitoring of blood gas is required for early diagnosis and respiratory supportive treatment with continued minitoring is necessary until resolution. Fifteen cases of fat embolism treated at from September 1979 to October 1981 Eul Ji General Hospital were clinically analized. Among the fifteen cases, fourteen were recovered without sequalae and one was expired ten days after trauma.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Embolism, Fat ; Fractures, Bone ; Hospitals, General ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Soft Tissue Injuries

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the characteristics and mechanisms of pelvic fractures in the cases of road traffic accident deaths. METHODS: Total 65 cases of road traffic accident deaths with pelvic fracture were collected, and the sites, characteristics and injury mechanisms of pelvic fracture were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 65 cases of pelvic fracture, 38 cases of dislocation of sacroiliac joint were found, and most combined with pubis symphysis separation or fracture of pubis. In the fractures of pubis, ischium and acetabulum, linear fractures were most common, while comminuted fractures were most common in sacrum and coccyx fractures. There were 54 cases combined with pelvic soft tissue injury, and 8 cases with pelvic organ injury and 44 cases with abdominal organ injury. In the types of pelvic ring injury, 32 cases were separation, 49.32%, followed by compression, 26.15% and only one case was verticality, 1.54%. CONCLUSIONS Detailed and comprehensive examination of the body and determination of the pelvic fracture type contribute to analyze the mechanisms of injury.
Accidents, Traffic ; Acetabulum/injuries* ; Death ; Forensic Pathology ; Fractures, Bone/diagnosis* ; Fractures, Comminuted/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Ischium/injuries* ; Pelvic Bones/injuries* ; Soft Tissue Injuries/diagnosis* ; Spinal Fractures/diagnosis*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing fracture types and soft tissue injuries associated with tibial plateau fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRI was performed in 38 patients with tibial plateau fractures, each of which was classified according to the Schatzker system. We evaluated MR images and assessed the prevalence of each fracture type and accompanying soft tissue injuries. We also assessed whether ligamentous injury correlated with the extent of articular depression, splitting, and comminution. In 24 patients, diagnosis was based on MRI and operative or arthroscopic findings, and in 14 patients, on MRI alone. RESULTS: The totals of fracture types I, II, III, IV, V and VI were 4 (11 %), 15 (39 %), 6 (16 %), 4 (11 %), 4 (11%), and 5 cases (13 %), respectively. In 30 cases (79 %), there were associated ligamentous or meniscal injuries. Medial collateral ligaments and lateral menisci were injured in 17 (45 %) and 14 cases (37 %), respectively. Type II and IV fracture patterns were associated with soft tissue injuries in 14 of 15 cases (93 %) and 4 of 4 cases(100 %), respectively. As the extent of articular depression increased and the extent of bony comminution decreased, there was an increased prevalence of accompanying ligamentous injuries. CONCLUSION: In tibial plateau fractures, MR imaging is a useful diagnostic modality for the evaluation of both fracture type and accompanying ligamentous or meniscal injuries.
Collateral Ligaments ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Menisci, Tibial ; Prevalence ; Soft Tissue Injuries*

Morel-Lavallée is a rare lesion caused by post-traumatic soft tissue injury. It usually occurs around the greater trochanter, and it occurs very rarely in the lumbar region. It is often difficult to be diagnosed in the emergency room. Delayed diagnosis may result in the need for open surgery. The authors report a patient with extensive multiple Morel-Lavallée lesions in the thoracolumbar, buttock, and thigh after trauma and provide a literature review.
Buttocks ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Femur ; Humans ; Lumbosacral Region ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Thigh

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate diagnostic criteria using plain lateral radiography, the incidence of traumatic disc herniation and the degree of neurologic deficit in extension injury of the lower cervical spine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 28 patients with extension injury of the lower cervical spine, by measuring the retropharyngeal, retrotracheal space and the intervertebral space at the injured level in plain lateral radiography. We selected 40 patients as a control group for the prevertebral soft tissue space measurement. RESULTS: Widening was found in the retropharyngeal space (6.8 +/-2.9 mm) and in the retrotracheal space (15.2 +/-3.8 mm) compared with the control group (4.2 +/-0.7 mm, 12.6 +/-1.9 mm, p<0.05). No significant increase in the injured intervertebral space was observed with respect to the normal upper and lower disc space. Neurologic deficit occurred in 25 cases (89%); with root injury in 11 cases and cord injury in 14 cases. There were 19 posterior disc herniations (68%), which were associated with neurologic deficits in all cases. CONCLUSION: Extension injuries should be suspected in the presence of soft tissue injury of the anterior column without fracture or dislocation by the radiologic study of the lower cervical spine. Magnetic resonance imaging study is believed to be an essential diagnostic modality for the accurate evaluation and proper management of the lower cervical spine injuries.
Diagnosis* ; Dislocations ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Radiography ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Spine*

It is well known that double contrast arthrography of the knee is a safe and technically simple procedure permitting accurate diagnosis of lesion of meniscus, especially tears. It has been utilized infrequently until recent years in our country. During the period of Oct. 1977 through Nov. 1978, double contrast arthrography of the knee had been performed in total of 52 cases with soft tissue injury of the knee and a total of 32 cases among them underwent the operation at the Armed Forces Taegu General Hospital. The arthrographic findings of the meniscus injury were presented and analyzed. The results were as follows: 1. Arthrography of the knee is a valuable diagnostic aid for meniscus injury. The diagnostic accuracy was 87.5 per cent for 32 cases. 2. In one case, tear of both menisci unsuspected on the basis of clinical examination were demonstrated one the arthrogram. 3. Arthrography revealed residual portion of the meniscus left after previous menisectomy in one patient. Reoperation resulted in cure. 4. Unnecessary surgery was reduced. 5. There were no complications of arthrography in thts series.
Arm ; Arthrography ; Daegu ; Diagnosis ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Knee ; Reoperation ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Tears ; Unnecessary Procedures

The hand is a part of the human body, which has a complex structure, various functions and is one of the parts of the body most susceptible to trauma. With the increasing number of the traffic and occupational accidents proportionate to the rapld development of modern culture, fracture of the hand have become one of the commonest fracture of the human body. The object of treatment of fracture of the hand is to restore function the greatest degree possible with exact diagnosis and proper treatment based on the knowledge of anatomical structure and function. The authors have reviewed 228 cases of fractures of the hand (fracture with severe soft tissue injury were excluded) which were treated in the department of orthopedic surgery, Severance hospital from 1969 to 1978. The following results were obtained; 1. Fractures occured more commonly In man (80.3%) than woman. 2. Fractures occured more commonly in the second decade and the group between 10 and 30 years of age accounted for 73.7% of all fractures. 3. There was no significant differnnce between the left and right side. (105:123) 4. The commonest cause of the fracture was traffic accident (38.6%), machinary injury was the second (21.1%). 5. Most of the patients were brought to our hospital within 12 hours after injury (61.8%). 6. The most frequently fractured bone was the metacarpal (34.4%), then the proximal phalanx (28.1%), distal phalanx (16.9%), middle phalanx (10.5%) in decreasing frequency. 7. The average time for clinical union was 4.2 weeks in the case of the distal phalanx, 6.8 weeks in middle phalanx, 7.3 weeks in proximal phalanx and 6.5 weeks in metacarpal. 8. Complications were found in 8.3% of all cases and angulation deformlty was the most frequent.
Accidents, Occupational ; Accidents, Traffic ; Clinical Study ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hand ; Human Body ; Humans ; Orthopedics ; Soft Tissue Injuries

20-year-old man presented to our emergency department after he was hit by a forklift. He developed haemorrhagic shock from a subcutaneous haematoma in his left thigh and required monitoring in the surgical intensive care unit. He stabilised with aggressive fluid resuscitation with crystalloids and blood transfusion. The recovery was complicated by an infection of the subcutaneous haematoma. Following open drainage of the infected subcutaneous haematoma, he improved and was discharged. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a subcutaneous haematoma causing haemorrhagic shock.
Accidents, Traffic ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hematoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; complications ; diagnosis ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo analyze the reliability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting posterior ligament complex injury in thoracolumbar fractures.

METHODSNinety-five patients with thoracolumbar fracture were evaluated by palpation of the inter-spinal gap, plain radiography, and MRI before operation. In addition to conventional MRI sequences, a fat-suppressed T2-weighted sagittal sequence was performed. Surgery was performed by a posterior approach. During the operation, posterior ligament complex was examined.

RESULTSA wide inter-spinal gap was palpated in 41 patients and was found in 55 patients on plain radiography. According to MRI, injury to the supraspinal ligament was suspected in 85 patients, the inter-spinal ligament in 83 patients, and the ligamentum flavum in 26 patients. There were 82 supraspinal ligament injuries, 80 inter-spinal ligament injuries, and 20 ligamentum flavum injuries in operative findings. The relations between plain radiography and operative findings, between MRI interpretation and operative findings were statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONA fat-suppressed T2-weighted sagittal sequence of MRI is a highly sensitive, specific, and accurate method to detect posterior ligament complex injury and which is recommended for the accurate evaluation of posterior ligament complex injury in thoracolumbar fractures.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Capsule ; injuries ; Ligaments, Articular ; injuries ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; diagnosis ; Spinal Fractures ; complications ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries