Abstract
Lumbar hernias are rare hernias of the posterolateral abdominal wall, which typically arise in two areas of weakness, the superior lumbar triangle and the inferior lumbar triangle. We report a rare case of inferior lumbar hernia occurring after iliac bone graft harvest. The patient was a 77-year-old woman who had undergone an osteoplasty with left iliac crest bone graft for a false joint following left femoral fracture. After this surgery, a growing mass occurred on the left flank. Abdominal CT scan revealed a small bowel incarceration through the muscular layer near the left iliac crest. We regarded this mass 20 cm in size as an incision hernia and hernia repair with Prolene hernia system® was performed under general anesthesia. The hernia arisen in the inferior lumbar triangle might have enlarged due to left iliac crest bone graft harvest, so we diagnosed the case as a inferior lumbar hernia. The postoperative course was uneventful and no signs of recurrence have been found. A lumbar or flank mass, especially found after iliac bone graft harvest, should always raise the suspicion of a lumbar hernia.
