Conservative management of Morel-Lavallée lesion: a case study.

OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the conservative clinical management of Morel-Lavallée lesion. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 34 year-old male presented with a forced flexion induced right knee injury that was diagnosed as a Morel-Lavallée lesion by way of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: The patient was co-managed by a sports medicine physician and a chiropractor with a combination of percutaneous aspiration, dry needling, soft tissue therapy, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), and corrective exercise.
SUMMARY: The patient experienced improved function throughout chiropractic care. Almost complete resolution was achieved at 18 weeks after injury and maintained at 35 weeks after injury. Further research is needed to understand if this improvement in function is better than the natural history of this condition. © JCCA 2019.