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Spina Bifida & Tethered Spinal Cord
Spina Bifida
Spina bifida is a birth defect formed as an incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord during early development in pregnancy.
Meningocele and myelomeningocele, are the most severe forms of spina bifida and are associated with poor ability in walking, impaired bladder or bowel control, accumulation of fluid in the brain (hydrocephalus), tethered spinal cord, and latex allergy.
Tethered spinal cord syndrome
Tethered spinal cord syndrome (TCS) refers to a group of neurological disorders that relate to malformations of the spinal cord: tight filum terminale, lipomeningomyelocele, split cord malformations (diastematomyelia), dermal sinus tracts, and dermoids.
All forms involve the pulling (tethering) of the spinal cord at the base of the spinal canal.
In children, a tethered cord can force the spinal cord to stretch as they grow causing progressive neurological deficit expressed in motor and sensory, urinary and bowel dysfunction, feet deformation and scoliosis.
In adults the spinal cord stretches in the course of normal activity, usually
leading to progressive spinal cord damage if untreated.
Microsurgical treatment of tethered spinal cord
During the operation, using a high magnification microscope, microsurgical tools and electrophysiological monitoring, scar tissues/ lipoma / lipomyelomeningocele/dermal sinus are carefully removed, followed by microsurgical neurolysis of cauda equina nerve roots and release and untethering of the spinal cord.