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Spina bifida: A diagnostic dilemma in paleopathology
Author(s) -
Kumar A.,
Tubbs R. Shane
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
clinical anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1098-2353
pISSN - 0897-3806
DOI - 10.1002/ca.21058
Subject(s) - medicine , spina bifida , spina bifida occulta , etiology , terminology , paleopathology , pathology , pediatrics , linguistics , philosophy
This article provides information regarding the etiology, pathogenesis, and skeletal manifestation of spina bifida or spinal dysraphisms. On the basis of a review of the medical literature, it addresses discrepancies in documentation and interpretation of spina bifida in paleopathology. Furthermore, it offers suggestions for use of universal terminology and highlights the difficulties in the specific diagnosis of dysraphisms in skeletal remains. In addition, the necessity of examining the entire skeleton for abnormalities to distinguish simple delay/failure of fusion of the posterior neural arches from other occult spinal dysraphisms is emphasized, as it is the need for stratification of the sample by age and sex when reporting frequencies of sacral spina bifida occulta. Clin. Anat. 24:19–33, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.