Rare Case of Hip Pain: Transiliac Lumbar Hernia

Bone grafts are essential to achieving a solid spinal fusion by encouraging osteoblastic activity and providing a scaffold to guide bone remodeling. The iliac crest, in particular, is a common site for autologous bone grafting and is still considered the gold standard due to its ease of access to cortical and cancellous bone.[1] However, autologous iliac crest bone grafting can be associated with significant morbidity especially when full thickness tricortical grafts are harvested. Common complications include donor site pain, hematoma, thigh dyesthesias, pelvic instability or fracture.[2] Gastrointestinal herniation on the other hand is a much rarer complication with an incidence of 5% to 9%.[3] Here we report a case of iliac graft site herniation presenting as hip pain and difficulty ambulating more than 15 years post operation