Colon hernia through a defect in the iliac crest after bone graft harvesting]

A case of a patient with an hernia through a defect in the iliac crest after bone graft harvesting is described. The osseous defect provides a rigid ring against which repeated sudden elevations in abdominal pressure can result in disruption of soft tissue and herniation of abdominal contents. Standard plain radiographs and barium studies are of limited interest and may even be misleading in diagnosing the herniation. Findings on computed tomography led to detection of this abnormality, and should be the first line exam in these cases.