Corona Mortis in Acetabular Surgery: A Clinical Image

Corona mortis is an anastomotic branch between the external iliac and obturator vessels in the obturator canal. It consist of venous, arterial, and both types of connections, and each appearance is different. Several investigators have estimated its arterial incidence as 10% - 43%. If present, the corona mortis is easily damaged during acetabular surgery using the modified stoppa approach, the ilioinguinal approach and pelvic osteotomies using a medial approach, which may lead to profuse bleeding and limb-threatening complications. The surgeon has to be very careful and always ligate these vessels. The surgeon begins the approach after skin incision and linea alba dissection following the pubic bone from the pubic symphysis to the hip joint. We present the clinical picture of corona mortis during an operation for an acetabular fracture fixation through a modified stoppa approach. As we can see, this is a large diameter vessel or vessels (artery and veins) and an intraoperative injury of corona mortis can lead in significant bleeding. In this image, we can also see the tension of the vessel. That means that it can be very difficult to find the vessel parts after an uncontrolable injury.