Question
My wife gave birth to a child with spina bifida. What is the matter?
Answer
Spina bifida is a congenital spinal abnormality, also known as spinal cleft or incomplete spinal closure. Its basic pathological change is the absence of varying degrees of spinous processes and vertebral plates, leading to incomplete closure of the vertebral canal, with the contents of the vertebral canal directly contacting the extracellular tissues outside the vertebral canal, or even protruding outside. This condition may involve one or more vertebrae and often accompanies deformities in the nervous system or other systems. Spina bifida is most common in the lumbar and sacral regions, followed by the cervical segment, and is less common in other areas.