The Morel-Lavallée lesion (MLL) is a closed degloving injury caused by traumatic 
separation of the subcutaneous tissue from the underlying fascia, without a 
break in the overlying skin. We present two cases that demonstrate a previously 
unrecognised association of the MLL with thoracolumbar spine fractures. The 
lesion is frequently missed, or its significance is overlooked, on initial 
evaluation. Awareness of this injury should allow tailored strategies to 
decrease the high risk of wound complications.