Operative treatment of the large post-traumatic subcutaneous haematoma or bursa

A study of the large subcutaneous haematoma or bursa was carried out in 85 adult patients who were mostly injured in traffic accidents as pedestrians hit by automobiles or in motocycle accidents. The lesions, mostly located at trochanteric and lumbosacral regions, were produced by direct, tangential traumatic forces splitting the subcutaneous fat from the fascia and creating a massive haematoma which was subsequently transformed into a real bursal cyst, resistant to the conventional methods of treatment. As the results of conservative measures were unsatisfactory in 74 per cent of cases, a simple operation has been developed, consisting of excision of the bursal wall and inserting cutaneofascial sutures to allow complete elimination of any dead spaces where tissue fluids could re-accumulate. As the results of this operation were favourable in 95 per cent of cases, it is recommended for the management of this condition.