Repair of lumbar hernia originating from autogenous iliac bone graft with bilayer mesh

Summary A 60-year-old female patient, who had previously undergone an iliac bone graft harvest, was diagnosed with the aid of an abdominal CT scan to have an inferior lumbar hernia, complicated with bowel incarceration. Reduction of the protruding sac was performed. The weak point of the inferior lumbar hernia was reinforced by hernioplasty with a bilayer mesh. No evidence of recurrence was noted 16 months after surgery. The iliac bone graft is often adopted for various purposes by orthopedists and neurosurgeons, which may contribute to an unusual lumbar hernia. The purpose of this communication is to emphasize the possibility of complications following such surgical procedures and to provide useful information, including radiographic images and photographs of this extraordinary type of hernia. Hernioplasty with a bilayer mesh is safe, effective and convenient, in spite of a variety of commercially available meshes.