Spinal dysraphism

The word raphe means a seam, such as we see on a garment. It is used figuratively, in anatomy and embryologyThe study of how our bodies form, from the moment that a single sperm fertilises an egg, until birth., to refer to the formation of the neural tubeDuring development in the womb, the central nervous system first begins to form as a strip of tissue running down the back. This strip then rolls itself into a tube which sinks below the surface. The layer which closes over this tube develops into the skin. The neural tube itself then develops into the brain at the head end and, below, into the spinal cord.. This structure forms from a strip of tissueIn everyday speech a piece of tissue is a thin sheet of paper, used to wrap a present or, in a slightly different form, to blow the nose, or to be used in the toilet. In biology the word tissue refers to living material made up of cells or groups of cells of similar type or types. We may speak, for example, of nerve tissue or of fatty tissue, of glandular tissue or of connective tissue. Individual organs of the body, such as the brain, the heart, the liver or the kidneys, are made up of several tissue types, almost always including connective tissue. running down the back of the embryo, which then “zips-up” along the back, in the midline. The bony skeletal elementsWhen we think about the spine, we need to consider both the bones and the ligaments that hold them together, as well as the spinal cord and the nerves that issue from it. The spinal cord and nerves together make up the neural elements. The bones and ligaments are the skeletal elements. then form over the surface of the neural tubeDuring development in the womb, the central nervous system first begins to form as a strip of tissue running down the back. This strip then rolls itself into a tube which sinks below the surface. The layer which closes over this tube develops into the skin. The neural tube itself then develops into the brain at the head end and, below, into the spinal cord.. If the “zipping-up” is not completed then the anatomical abnormalities of spina bifidaDuring development, at each level of the spine two plates of bone migrate towards one another and fuse, in the midline, forming what are referred to as spinous processes. It is the tips of these spinous processes that we feel when running a finger down our spines. Sometimes one or more of the pairs of plates fail to fuse adequately, such that two, shorter spinous processes form on each side of the midline. This is what is referred to as spina bifida. It affects most commonly the lower part of the spine, in the lumbar region. Many people may quite unaware that they have such split (or, more specifically, never joined), spinous processes. Plain radiographs, or magnetic resonance imaging, may... develop, to varying degrees in different cases. The terms spina bifidaDuring development, at each level of the spine two plates of bone migrate towards one another and fuse, in the midline, forming what are referred to as spinous processes. It is the tips of these spinous processes that we feel when running a finger down our spines. Sometimes one or more of the pairs of plates fail to fuse adequately, such that two, shorter spinous processes form on each side of the midline. This is what is referred to as spina bifida. It affects most commonly the lower part of the spine, in the lumbar region. Many people may quite unaware that they have such split (or, more specifically, never joined), spinous processes. Plain radiographs, or magnetic resonance imaging, may... and spinal dysraphism are, to all intents and purposes, interchangeable.