Journal of Trauma and Injury

Original Article

Treatment strategy for acute blunt traumatic abdominal wall injury: a single-center retrospective study in Korea: Gun Woo Kim, Chang-Yeon Jung, Sung Hoon Cho, Suyeong Hwang, Kyoung Hoon Lim; J Trauma Inj. 2025;38(4):373-381. Published online December 31, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.20408/jti.2025.0234

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Abstract PDF: Purpose
Traumatic abdominal wall hernia, a rare condition resulting from blunt trauma, is characterized by disruption of the abdominal wall musculature and fascia without skin penetration. Given its rarity, standardized treatment guidelines are lacking, and the necessity for immediate surgery remains debated. This study examines high-energy posterolateral abdominal wall injuries (AWI), which pose significant management challenges due to their anatomical complexity and high recurrence risk.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed records of 44 adults with grade III–VI AWI treated between 2013 and 2023 at a level I trauma center. Patients were categorized into emergency repair or delayed management groups based on the initial treatment strategy, with injuries anatomically classified as anterior, lateral, or posterolateral. Nonoperative management (NOM) was limited to patients without herniation on index imaging and entailed close observation with regular follow-up imaging.
Results
AWI was identified in 44 of 83,532 patients (0.05%) with blunt trauma. Anatomically, 4 cases (9.1%) were anterior, 17 (38.6%) were lateral, and 23 (52.3%) were posterolateral. Three patients (6.8%) were classified as grade III injury, 16 (36.4%) as grade IV, 24 (54.6%) as grade V, and 1 (2.3%) as grade VI. Emergency repair was performed in 26 patients (59.1%), whereas 18 (40.9%) initially received delayed management. In the latter group, 8 of 18 patients (44.4%) were judged to require delayed repair, of whom six proceeded to surgery. Among 10 NOM patients with indeterminate muscle-layer integrity on initial imaging due to hematoma or tissue injury, follow-up revealed delayed hernia development in three, while seven had resolved hematoma, confirming wall integrity.
Conclusions
In hemodynamically stable patients with traumatic posterolateral AWI without herniation, NOM with close monitoring and delayed repair for subsequent hernia appears safe and effective as an alternative to immediate surgery. Management should be tailored to injury location and patient condition. These findings inform the management timing and approach for this rare, challenging injury pattern.; Summary

Case Reports

Massive traumatic abdominal wall hernia in pediatric multitrauma in Australia: a case report: Sarah Douglas-Seidl, Camille Wu; J Trauma Inj. 2023;36(4):447-450. Published online November 7, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.20408/jti.2023.0023; Correction in: J Trauma Inj 2024;37(4):309

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Traumatic abdominal wall hernia is a rare presentation, most commonly reported in the context of motor vehicle accidents and associated with blunt abdominal injuries and handlebar injuries in the pediatric population. A 13-year-old boy presented with multiple traumatic injuries and hemodynamic instability after a high-speed motor vehicle accident. His injuries consisted of massive traumatic abdominal wall hernia (grade 4) with bowel injury and perforation, blunt aortic injury, a Chance fracture, hemopneumothorax, and a humeral shaft fracture. Initial surgical management included partial resection of the terminal ileum, sigmoid colon, and descending colon. Laparostomy was managed with negative pressure wound therapy. The patient underwent skin-only primary closure of the abdominal wall and required multiple returns to theatre for debridement, dressing changes, and repair of other injuries. Various surgical management options for abdominal wall closure were considered. In total, he underwent 36 procedures. The multiple injuries had competing management aims, which required close collaboration between specialist clinicians to form an individualized management plan. The severity and complexity of this injury was of a scale not previously experienced by many clinicians and benefited from intrahospital and interhospital specialist collaboration. The ideal aim of primary surgical repair was not possible in this case of a giant abdominal wall defect.

Summary

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Erratum to “Massive traumatic abdominal wall hernia in pediatric multitrauma in Australia: a case report”

Journal of Trauma and Injury.2024; 37(4): 309. CrossRef

Traumatic Abdominal Wall Hernia (TAWH): Repair by using a Prolen Mesh: Seung Yeon Park, Min Chung; J Korean Soc Traumatol. 2009;22(1):119-122.

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Abstract PDF: Traumatic abdominal wall hernia after blunt abdominal trauma is rare. The prevalence of traumatic abdominal wall hernia in published series is approximately 1%. Recently, by the use of computed tomography has increased the number of occult traumatic abdominal wall hernias (TAWH). A 47-year-old woman presented to the emergency room soon after a traffic accident. She was fully conscious and complained of diffuse, dull, abdominal pain. She had a seat belt on at the time of the accident. Initial computed tomography showed that the lower left abdominal wall had a defect and that a part of the small bowel had herniated through the defect. During the operation, we made an incision at the defect site and confirmed the defect. The defect size was about 15x5 cm. The muscle layers were repaired in layers with absorbable sutures. Prolen mesh was layed down and fixed on the site of the repaired muscle defect. After 6 months, hernia had not recurred, and no weakness of the repaired abdominal wall layers was identified. The patient`s postoperative body functions were normal.; Summary

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