This animation shows the lateral view of a lumbar fusion with resulting vascular injury. Structures highlighted in this animation includes the heart, spine, aorta, iliac veins, iliac arteries, and the inferior vena cava. This patient presents with a herniated disc in which a laminectomy is performed to remove the herniated disc material. This process encompasses inserting pedicle screws and an intervertebral cage to replace the herniated disc. Yet when the third screw was inserted, the screw slipped through the vertebral body and penetrated the right common iliac artery and vein due to poor bone quality.
