Latissimus dorsi rupture: an unusual complication of anterior spine surgery

Anterior spinal surgery is a common part of the treatment for spinal trauma and deformity. Two cases of an unusual postoperative complication of the surgical exposure for anterior spinal fusion with rib strut grafts are herein reviewed. In each case, the patient presented 3-6 months postoperatively with a large, painful mass along the posterior axillary line near the surgical incision. The mass was diagnosed as a rupture of the latissimus dorsi. The cause of this disruption is unclear, but it appears to be a complication of the surgical approach; therefore, surgeons performing transthoracic and thoracoabdominal approaches should be aware of it.