A spinal nerve is a mixed nerve, which carries motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the spinal cord and the body. In the human body there are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, one on each side of the vertebral column. These are grouped into the corresponding cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal regions of the spine. There are eight pairs of cervical nerves, twelve pairs of thoracic nerves, five pairs of lumbar nerves, five pairs of sacral nerves, and one pair of coccygeal nerves. The spinal nerves are part of the peripheral nervous system.
The ankle jerk reflex, also known as the Achilles reflex, occurs when the Achilles tendon is tapped while the foot is dorsiflexed. It is a type of stretch reflex that tests the function of the gastrocnemius muscle and the nerve that supplies it. A positive result would be the jerking of the foot towards its plantar surface. Being a deep tendon reflex, it is monosynaptic. It is also a stretch reflex. These are monosynaptic spinal segmental reflexes. When they are intact, integrity of the following is confirmed: cutaneous innervation, motor supply, and cortical input to the corresponding spinal segment.
In humans and other mammals, the caudal cell mass is the aggregate of undifferentiated cells at the caudal end on the spine.The caudal end of the spinal cord first begins to form after primary neuralation has taken place, indicating that it develops after the cranial portion of the spinal cord has developed. Following neuralation, the caudal tail begins to form a neurocele as it develops a hollow core. After this, secondary neuralation occurs in which the medullary cord begins to form and is filled with many cavities that ultimatelly form the lumen. The cavities formed from the initial and secondary neuralation combine to form one uninterrupted cavity. There is still specualtion on the formation of the caudall cell mass in humans with arguments being made for it arising from many cavities or the continuing growth of the neurocele from the initial neuralation. The caudal cell mass will ultimately differentiate and form into many sacral structures such various nerve endings and the conus medullaris.
An imperforate anus or anorectal malformations (ARMs) are birth defects in which the rectum is malformed. ARMs are a spectrum of different congenital anomalies in males and females which vary from fairly minor lesions to complex anomalies. The cause of ARMs is unknown; the genetic basis of these anomalies is very complex because of their anatomical variability. In 8% of patients, genetic factors are clearly associated with ARMs. Anorectal malformation in Currarino syndrome represents the only association for which the gene HLXB9 has been identified.
The VACTERL association refers to a recognized group of birth defects which tend to co-occur. Note that this pattern is a recognized association, as opposed to a syndrome, because there is no known pathogenetic cause to explain the grouped incidence.
Popliteal pterygium syndrome (PPS) is an inherited condition affecting the face, limbs, and genitalia. The syndrome goes by a number of names including the popliteal web syndrome and, more inclusively, the facio-genito-popliteal syndrome. The term PPS was coined by Gorlin et al.. in 1968 on the basis of the most unusual anomaly, the popliteal pterygium.
Congenital vertebral anomalies are a collection of malformations of the spine. Most around 85% are not clinically significant, but they can cause compression of the spinal cord by deforming the vertebral canal or causing instability. This condition occurs in the womb. Congenital vertebral anomalies include alterations of the shape and number of vertebrae.
Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) refers to a group of neurological disorders that relate to malformations of the spinal cord. Various forms include tight filum terminale, lipomeningomyelocele, split cord malformations (diastematomyelia), dermal sinus tracts, and dermoids. All forms involve the pulling of the spinal cord at the base of the spinal canal, literally a tethered cord. The spinal cord normally hangs loose in the canal, free to move up and down with growth, and with bending and stretching. A tethered cord, however, is held taut at the end or at some point in the spinal canal. In children, a tethered cord can force the spinal cord to stretch as they grow. In adults the spinal cord stretches in the course of normal activity, usually leading to progressive spinal cord damage if untreated. TCS is often associated with the closure of a spina bifida. It can be congenital, such as in tight filum terminale, or the result of injury later in life.
Papillorenal syndrome, also called renal-coloboma syndrome or isolated renal hypoplasia, is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder marked by underdevelopment (hypoplasia) of the kidney and colobomas of the optic nerve.
Diastematomyelia is a congenital disorder in which a part of the spinal cord is split, usually at the level of the upper lumbar vertebra.
Cobb syndrome is a rare congenital disorder characterized by visible skin lesions with underlying spinal angiomas or arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The skin lesions of Cobb syndrome typically are present as port wine stains or angiomas, but reports exist of angiokeratomas, angiolipomas, and lymphangioma circumscriptum. The intraspinal lesions may be angiomas or AVMs and occur at levels of the spinal cord corresponding to the affected skin dermatomes. They may in turn produce spinal cord dysfunction and weakness or paralysis.
Sinus pericranii (SP) is a rare disorder characterized by a congenital epicranial venous malformation of the scalp. Sinus pericranii is an abnormal communication between the intracranial and extracranial venous drainage pathways. Treatment of this condition has mainly been recommended for aesthetic reasons and prevention of bleeding.
Metanephric dysplastic hematoma of the sacral region (MDHSR) has been described by Cozzutto and Lazzaroni-Fossati in 1980, by Posalaki et al. in 1981 and by Cozzutto et al. in 1982. Three additional cases were seen by Finegold.
Congenital dermal sinus is an uncommon form of cranial or spinal dysraphism. It occurs in 1 in 2500 live births. It occurs as a dermal indentation, found along the midline of the neuraxis and often presents alongside infection and neurological deficit. Congenital dermal sinus form due to a focal failure of dysjunction between the cutaneous ectoderm and neuroectoderm during the third to eight week of gestation.Typically observed in the lumbar and lumbosacral region, congenital dermal sinus can occur from the nasion and occiput region down.
