Successful conservative treatment of a bicycle-handlebar hernia: report of a case

Abdominal hernias secondary to non-penetrating trauma. A systematic review

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is a protrusion of contents through a defect in the abdominal wall as a consequence of a blunt injury. The objective of this review was to describe demographic and clinical aspects of this rare pathology, identifying the optimal moment for surgical intervention, evaluating the need to use mesh, and analyzing the effectiveness of surgical treatment. Thus, a systematic review using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases was carried out between January 2004 and March 2024. Computed tomography is the gold-standard imaging test for diagnosis. Open surgery is generally the preferred approach, particularly in emergencies. Acute TAWH can be treated by primary suture or mesh repair, depending on local conditions, while late cases usually require mesh.

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia in childhood: a bicycle handlebar injury

A female patient in her middle childhood presented to the paediatric emergency room (ER) after a bicycle accident with an abdominal impact on the bicycle handlebar. On physical examination, a painful ecchymosis on the upper left quadrant was the only abnormal finding. Abdominal ultrasound showed no intra-abdominal lesions, and the patient was discharged home after 24 hours under monitoring. Nine days after the accident, she returned to the ER due to the emergence of an abdominal mass around the area of impact. Abdominal examination detected a tender non-fluctuating mass on the epigastric and left hypochondrium, and abdominal ultrasound revealed a muscle and aponeurosis disruption of the rectus muscle, with fat herniation and cytosteatonecrosis. A conservative approach was chosen, with ambulatory follow-up. One month after the accident, the patient was asymptomatic, no abdominal mass was palpable, and an abdominal CT showed a reduction of the muscle disruption and hernial content.

Handlebar hernia-unusual complication from blunt trauma

Handlebar hernia is a rare entity, mainly resulting from blunt abdominal trauma with a sudden deceleration mechanism. Diagnosis of handlebar at admission may be difficult because the rupture of abdominal wall layers often is not clinically recognized in the emergency department, which requires a high degree of suspicion to identify theses lesions. It is very important to rule out the presence of intra-abdominal injuries, and in adults, surgical repair is needed. Herein, the case of an adult man who presented to the emergency department with blunt abdominal trauma caused by a motorcycle handlebar is described.

Traumatic abdominal wall hernias in children: A case for early exploration

PURPOSE

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is a rare consequence of blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). We examined a series of patients suffering TAWH to evaluate its frequency, rate of associated concurrent intraabdominal injuries (CAI) and correlation with CT, management and outcomes.

METHODS

A Level 1 pediatric trauma center trauma registry was queried for children less than 18 years old suffering TAWH from BAT between 2009 and 2019.

RESULTS

9370 patients were admitted after BAT. TAWH was observed in 11 children, at incidence 0.1%. Eight children (73%) were male, at mean age 10 years, and mean ISS of 16. Six cases (55%) were because of MVC, three (27%) impaled by a handlebar or pole, and two (18%) dragged under large machinery. Seven (64%) had a CAI requiring operative or interventional management. Patients with CAI were similar to those without other injury, with 20% and 50% CT scan sensitivity and specificity for detection of associated injury, respectively. Five patients had immediate hernia repair with laparotomy for repair of intraabdominal injury, three had delayed repair, two have asymptomatic unrepaired TAWH, and one resolved spontaneously.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with TAWH have high rates of CAI requiring operative repair. CT scans have low sensitivity and specificity for detecting associated injuries. A high suspicion of injury and low threshold for exploration must be maintained in TAWH cases.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Traumatic Abdominal Wall Hernia in Children: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) in children is an uncommon injury and most commonly occurs after blunt abdominal trauma. There is no consensus on the management of these rare cases. We performed a systematic review of the literature to describe injuries, management, and outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar was performed to identify English-language publications of blunt TAWH in patients <18 y old. Conflicts were resolved by consensus. Data were collected on demographics, associated injuries, management, and outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 71 articles were reviewed with 100 cases of TAWH. A total of 82.5% of patients were male, and the median age was 9 y old (range 2-15). Injury by bicycle handlebars was most common (72%) followed by motor vehicle collision (14%). Forty patients had intraabdominal injuries, most commonly bowel (70%) or mesentery (37.5%). Rate of intraabdominal injury was significantly higher in patients with injuries due to nonbicycle handlebar injuries when compared with bicycle handlebar injuries (60.7% versus 33.3%, P = 0.02). Most patients were managed operatively (85%), most commonly via laparotomy (68/85, 80%), with six laparoscopic repairs and five laparoscopic converted to open repairs. There were three reported complications and no recurrences over a median of follow-up of 5 mo in patients who underwent repair.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric TAWH is a rare injury with a high rate of intraabdominal injuries, particularly when due to high-impact mechanisms such as motor vehicle collision. Although open repair is more commonly performed, laparoscopic repair has been described with success. Recurrence rates appear low, but follow-up has been short term.

Handlebar hernia in children: a conservative approach. Case report and literature review

Handlebar hernias are very rare and occur after a blunt abdominal trauma by a bicycle handlebar or a handlebar-shape object. As a result the abdominal wall musculature and fascia are disrupted while the skin is still intact. A good history of the injury and physical examination are usually enough to pose a diagnosis. We report the case of bicycle-handlebar hernia in a 6-year-old boy who presented to our emergency department because of a reducible swelling above the left iliac crest after falling from his bicycle 3 days ago. The patient was treated conservatively with a weekly follow-up. Four weeks later the muscle disruption was healed. In pediatric patient in the absence of internal organ injuries, a handlebar hernia can successfully be managed conservatively.

["Handlebar" hernia: a rare type of traumatic parietal hernia]

Un patient de 20 ans avec une notion de chute sur le guidon d’une moto remontant à 28 jours, était admis pour douleurs abdominales aux urgences chirurgicales. L’examen clinique retrouvait un point d’impact circulaire au niveau de l’hypochondre gauche avec en regard une tuméfaction douloureuse, irréductible et non impulsive aux efforts de toux. Le diagnostic d’une hernie pariétale traumatique étranglée était posé. L’abord chirurgical par laparotomie médiane mettait en évidence une brèche pariétale avec incarcération d’une partie de l’épiploon qui était nécrosée. L’épiploon nécrosé était reséqué et une raphie de la brèche était réalisée. Les suites post-opératoires étaient simples et le patient sortait à j5.

What we know about management of traumatic abdominal wall hernia: review of the literature and case report

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is an uncommon form of hernia caused by blunt traumatic disruption of the abdominal wall musculature/fascia and abdominal organ herniation. Diagnosis of TAWH is challenging and requires a high level of suspicion. This form of hernia seems to be underrepresented in the English-language medical literature. There is currently no consensus on the optimal management for TAWH. In this article, we discuss the management of a 36-year-old motorcycle driver who was involved in a road traffic accident. On evaluation at our trauma center, he was found to have TAWH. Diagnostic criteria, imaging modalities and different management options for TAWH will be discussed.

Paediatric abdominal wall hernia following handlebar injury: should we diagnose more and operate less?

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia following handlebar injury can be easily missed and is thus underreported. A 12-year-old boy presented with handlebar injury to the left upper quadrant of his abdomen. Except for a localised swelling, thought to be related to a haematoma, he was haemodynamically stable. CT revealed an abdominal wall defect with herniating fat that was not evident clinically and was also missed on immediate ultrasound examination. As there were no associated injuries and the abdominal wall defect was small without any herniating bowel loops, masterly inactivity was observed. After 6 weeks, the swelling has disappeared completely and there is progressive reduction in the size of the defect.

Traumatic abdominal wall hernias: an emerging trend in handlebar injuries

Handlebar injuries are well described in pediatric patients and are frequently associated with internal injuries, including the "classic" duodenal hematoma and solid organ injuries. Before this report, traumatic handlebar hernias were considered rare. They occur when the end of the handlebar (often bare or lacking protective equipment) applies a significant force to a focal area of the abdomen leading to a disruption in the underlying muscle fibers and fascia while sparing the overlying skin. Such nonpenetrating injuries may present with subtle clinical signs and should always be considered in the differential diagnosis. Imaging, with the use of computed tomographic scan or ultrasound will confirm the diagnosis as well as identify any associated injuries. The management plan usually requires surgical exploration and repair of the defect. The prognosis is favorable presuming that there is no significant underlying injury. In this report, we present a series of 5 patients with traumatic handlebar hernia-the most frequently-occurring injury in our series-and review concurrent associated injuries.

Delayed presentation of the traumatic abdominal wall hernia; dilemma in the management - review of literature

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia is a rare entity, and an uncommon type of abdominal wall hernia as far as the etiology is concerned. It is caused by blunt trauma and disrupts the fascial layers, but does not disrupt the elastic skin. In this study, we report the case of a 60-year-old female, diagnosed with traumatic abdominal wall hernia with delayed presentation. In this case, herniation of the bowels was present through the defect in the left iliac region. She was surgically well-managed. During the follow-up of 1 year, there was no recurrence. In the Western medical literature, only a few cases have been reported, especially with intra-abdominal injuries. Confusion still exists in the management of such a disease as to whether to treat the condition at an early or later stage.

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia--a case report and literature review

We present a case report and comprehensive literature review of pediatric traumatic abdominal wall hernia caused by a blow from a bicycle handlebar. Traumatic abdominal wall hernia is a rare complication of bicycle handlebar injury. An awareness of this entity will help prevent a missed diagnosis. Operative repair is met with good outcome.

Traumatic anterior abdominal wall hernia: A report of three rare cases

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia is a rare condition that can follow any blunt trauma. Associated intra-abdominal injuries are infrequent. In this study, we are reporting three cases, diagnosed as abdominal wall hernia associated with herniation of bowel loops due to blunt trauma. In one case, injury of the herniated bowel was seen. In western medical literature, only few cases have been reported especially with intra-abdominal injuries.

Traumatic Abdominal Wall Hernia: A Case Report of High-Energy Type without Surgical Repair

Repair of traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) has been reported to be necessary. Reported here is one case of TAWH without repair. A 27-year-old man was accidentally sandwiched between a rock and a truck and admitted to our emergency department. There was a swelling of 10 cm in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The enhanced computed tomographic scan demonstrated a large abdominal wall muscular defect, transverse colon protrusion, and the presence of subcutaneous emphysema at the site. Based on these findings, lacerated transverse colon entrapped in TAWH was diagnosed. The patient underwent emergency laparotomy for laceration of the transverse colon, duodenum and pancreas, and open book fracture of the pelvis. Repair of the hernia was not performed because of the possibility of abscess formation by stool contamination. However, the hernia disappeared and the patient is doing well without recurrence of hernia 16 months after injury.

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia in two adults: a case series

Introduction

Traumatic hernia of the abdominal wall is a rare entity. A large proportion of reported cases are in children with a particular type of injury, i.e. from a handlebar injury. In adults, the presentation can vary substantially and the diagnosis is difficult. We present two cases in adults, with widely varying presentations and management.

Case presentations

A 40-year-old woman from rural north India presented with a low-velocity blunt injury to the lower abdomen. She was attacked by a bull. She had a clinically evident abdominal fascial disruption with intact skin, and was hemodynamically stable. An emergency mesh repair of the defect was performed, and she recovered well.

A 38-year-old man from rural north India presented with blunt trauma to the abdomen following a motor vehicle accident. He was stable, with a central abdominal parietal wall swelling and bruising. A computed tomography scan revealed herniation of bowel loops in the area with minor intra-abdominal injuries. A laparotomy, resection-anastomosis of the ischemic bowel, and primary repair of the defect was performed and he recovered well.

Conclusion

Following blunt abdominal trauma, particularly high-velocity injuries, a high index of suspicion must be reserved for parietal wall swellings, as missed hernias in this setting have a high risk of strangulation. Computed tomography is the best aid to diagnosis. Management of each case needs to be individualized.

A hidden danger of childhood trauma: bicycle handlebar injuries

PURPOSE

To evaluate childhood bicycle handlebar injuries.

METHODS

We evaluated retrospectively 14 patients who presented with bicycle handlebar injuries within a 3-year period. Bicycle injuries not caused by the handlebar were excluded.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 8.8 +/- 2 years (range, 5-12 years) and 79% were boys. The injuries comprised gastrointestinal perforation in 21%, traumatic abdominal hernia in 21%, and spleen laceration in 14%. The three children with intestinal perforation and the one with a penetrating abdominal injury underwent surgery, whereas the others were treated medically. An isolated traumatic abdominal hernia resolved spontaneously. There was no mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Although bicycle handlebar injuries occur at relatively low speeds, the transfer of energy from the end of the handlebar, with a small cross-sectional area, to a small field leads to intra-abdominal injuries that are more severe than predicted. Thus, bicycle handlebar injuries should be considered as a serious intraabdominal injury until proven otherwise.

Conservative management of a traumatic abdominal wall hernia after a bicycle handlebar injury (case report and literature review)

'Handlebar hernia' is the name given to a specific type of traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH). It is an uncommon injury, caused by impact of the abdominal wall against a blunt object, often bicycle handlebars. We present a case of handelbar hernia, discuss its investigation and treatment and suggest that immediate surgical repair may not always be required.