CORRELATION OF CLINICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS WITH OUTCOMES IN ACUTE MOREL-LAVALLÉE LESIONS AT A LEVEL-I TRAUMA CENTRE: A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY athish.tscc@gmail.com

 

CORRELATION OF CLINICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS WITH OUTCOMES IN ACUTE MOREL-LAVALLÉE LESIONS AT A LEVEL-I TRAUMA CENTRE: A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

8

India

Oral or Poster

Morel-Lavallée lesions (MLLs) are closed degloving injuries often under diagnosed during acute trauma care. Recent literature shows cases of haemorrhaging shock, significant soft tissue necrosis and wound infections associated with acute MLLs, often with underlying spine or pelvic fractures. But there is limited prospective data correlating clinical and radiological parameters with outcomes in acute MLLs, particularly in high-volume trauma settings.

This was a prospective observational study conducted at a Level-I trauma centre over 20 months. Patients aged ≥14 years presenting with acute MLL (<7 days from injury) were enrolled. Clinical parameters (site, size, overlying skin status, fluctuation) and radiological features (volume, fat stranding, anatomical plane) were recorded. Outcomes assessed included tissue loss, wound complications, need for surgical intervention, sepsis, and mortality. Associations were analysed using Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test.

Thirty-three patients with 36 MLLs were studied. The most common site was the thigh (47.2%), and the predominant mechanism was road traffic injury (93.9%). Unfavourable outcomes occurred in 44.4% of lesions. Significant predictors included larger lesion area (>500 cm²), higher lesion volume (>500 ml), presence of pelvic fractures, female gender, severe fat stranding, and injured overlying skin. Higher ISS/NISS scores correlated strongly with sepsis and mortality (p<0.05)

Clinical and radiological features such as lesion size, volume, and associated injuries can predict adverse outcomes in acute MLLs. Early recognition and targeted intervention strategies based on these parameters may reduce complications. Further multicentre, multivariable-adjusted studies with longer follow-up are warranted