Meningomyelocele or myelomeningocele, commonly known as open spina bifida is a devastating congenital malformation of the central nervous system and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Neural tube defects are of two types:
Open neural tube defect means that the defect is either not covered at all or just covered by a membrane. It comprises about 80% of all neural tube defects.
Closed neural tube defect: No apparent defect externally, usually result from a defect either in the fat, bone, or membranes covering the spinal cord.
Myelomeningocele is the most common open neural tube defect. It is characterized by failure of the neural tube to close in the lumbosacral region during embryonic development (fourth-week post-fertilization), leading to the herniation of the meninges and spinal cord through a vertebral defect. The neural tube fusion starts at the level of the hindbrain (medulla and pons) and progresses rostrally and caudally. Incomplete fusion caudally leads to the formation of meningomyelocele around day 26 of gestation.
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