Herniation from Right Iliac Crest Secondary to Autogenous Bone Grafting: A Rare Case Presentation

Development of Hernia after iliac bone harvesting was described for the first time by Oldfield in 1945. Hernia is one of the complications that patients undergoing iliac crest bone harvesting for grafts may develop, occurance being 5-9%. These hernias usually remain asymptomatic but can present with pain as the most relevant symptom when they occur. Abdominal Ultrasonography or Computed Tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis can help the surgeon reach a diagnosis by delineating the defect of the iliac crest. The tension-free mesh repair can be performed with a transabdominal, retroperitoneal or laparoscopic approach. Hernia developed through an iliac crest defect following bone graft harvesting is a not only a rare but one of the major complication. Attention should be paid while harvesting bone graft so that this complication can be avoided.