SUMMARYThis report describes a complex syndrome of injuries occurring in a young female who was a back seat passenger wearing a lap‐belt restraint in a high‐speed road traffic accident. As a consequence of the forced flexion distraction injury of her lumbar spine, she sustained a fracture‐subluxation of the first lumbar vertebra in association with a jejunal perforation and extensive small intestinal mesenteric laceration. She also had a large traumatic hernia of the anterior abdominal wall, which was overlooked at primary laparotomy. This report highlights collectively the classical combination of injuries associated with the lap‐belt syndrome and demonstrates the importance of carefully inspecting the anterior abdominal wall for deficiencies, because traumatic herniation may be easily overlooked.
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