Spina Bifida

A congenital defect with failure of closure of one or more of the vertebral arches, which may be associated with malformations of the spinal cord, nerve roots, lipomas, and congenital cysts. These malformations range from mild to severe, including complete failure of neural tube and spinal cord fusion, resulting in exposure of the spinal cord at the surface of the skin. The open form is called “Spina Bifida Cystica” and the closed form is “Spinal Bifida Occulta”.