Lumbar hernia after iliac crest bone harvest

Management of post-iliac crest bone harvesting hernias: Insights from a case series and systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Hernias following iliac bone grafting are a rare but significant complication, with the earliest case reported in 1945. Repairing these hernias is challenging. Appropriate repair techniques are needed to minimise morbidity and recurrence. We present our experience with three cases of post-iliac graft hernia repair with mesh anchored to titanium mini-plates and a systematic review of current literature.

METHOD

We conducted a systematic review of the literature in February 2024 on two online databases, PubMed®/MEDLINE and EMBASE, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Keywords used were "Hernia," "Iliac," and "Graft." Data on demographics, initial pathology, time to presentation, type of hernia repair, and outcome were collected. Studies not in English and related to other types of hernia were excluded.

RESULTS

We included 30 studies out of 751 results, spanning from 1975 to 2023. There were 40 reported cases of hernias post iliac bone grafting. The age distribution ranged from 37 to 88 years, with a median age of 60. The majority of patients (40 %) presented within one year. Fracture management, accounting for 19 cases (47.5 %), was the main indication for bone grafting. Mesh repair was performed in 31 cases (77.5 %). Seven cases (17.5 %) of recurrence were reported.

CONCLUSION

Recurrence is a common complication in patients with post-iliac graft hernias. Open mesh repair is the most frequently performed surgery and involves various techniques. While titanium mini-plates as anchors enable a pre-peritoneal plane mesh repair, long-term follow-up and comparative studies are needed to evaluate its efficacy compared to simple mesh.

Lumbar and para-iliac hernias: an alternative technique

Lumbar and para-iliac hernias are rare and occur after removal of an iliac bone graft, nephrectomies, retroperitoneal aortic surgery, or after blunt trauma to the abdomen. The incidence of hernia after the removal of these grafts ranges from 0.5 to 10%. These hernias are a problem that surgeons will face, since bone grafts from the iliac crest are being used more routinely. The goal of this article was to report the technique to correct these complex hernias, using the technique of fixing the propylene mesh to the iliac bone and the result of this approach. In the period of 5 years, 165 patients were treated at the complex hernia service, 10 (6%) with hernia in the supra-iliac and lumbar region, managed with the technique of fixing the mesh to the iliac bone with correction of the failure. During the mean follow-up of 33 months (minimum of 2 and maximum of 48 months), there was no recurrence of the hernias.