Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Confirmation of microevolutionary increase in spina bifida occulta among Swiss birth cohorts

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Spine Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Previous studies on the prevalence of spina bifida occulta have indicated a microevolutionary increase in its frequency and possible population differences in the prevalence of the condition. We studied the frequencies of closed and open sacral canals at each sacral level among two birth cohorts in Switzerland. Transverse CT scans and multiplanar reconstruction images of sacra of 95 males and 96 females born in 1940–1950 and 99 males and 94 females born in 1970–1980 in Switzerland were reviewed. We found that individuals born later have significantly more open sacral arches at all sacral levels compared to those born 30–40 years earlier. When results were related to previously published data on Australian cohorts, the trend was the same, but Swiss in both cohorts were less likely to have an open section than Australians at all locations apart from S2. This study confirmed a microevolutionary trend in the opening of sacral canal among two different generations in Switzerland and demonstrated a population difference in the prevalence of spina bifida occulta.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Berbrayer D (1991) Tethered cord syndrome complicating spina bifida occulta. A case report. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 70:213–214

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Zumkeller MB, Seifert V, Stolke D (1988) Intraspinal lipoma with tethered cord syndrome in childhood. Z Kinderchir 43:384–390

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fidas A, MacDonald HL, Elton RA et al (1989) Prevalence of spina bifida occulta in patients with functional disorders of the lower urinary tract and its relation to urodynamic and neurophysiological measurements. BMJ 298:357–359

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Avrahami E, Frishman E, Fridman Z et al (1994) Spina bifida occulta of S1 is not an innocent finding. Spine 19:12–15

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Burkus JK (1990) Unilateral spondylolysis associated with spina bifida occulta and nerve root compression. Spine 15:555–559

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Crols R, Appel B, Klaes R (1993) Extensive cervical intradural and intramedullary lipoma and spina bifida occulta of C1: a case report. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 95:39–43

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Rasool MN, Govender S, Naidoo KS et al (1992) Foot deformities and occult spinal abnormalities in children: a review of 16 cases. J Pediatr Orthop 12:94–99

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gregerson DM (1997) Clinical consequences of spina bifida occulta. J Manip Physiol Ther 20:546–550

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Solomon LB, Rühli FJ, Lee YC et al (2009) Secular trend in the opening of the sacral canal: an Australian study. Spine 34:244–248

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Saluja PG (1988) The incidence of spina bifida occulta in a historic and a modern London population. J Anat 158:91–93

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Fawcitt J (1959) Some radiological aspects of congenital anomalies of the spine in childhood and infancy. Proc R Soc Med 52:331–333

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Scheuer L, Black S (2000) Developmental Juvenile osteology. Academic Press

  13. Henneberg RJ, Henneberg M (1999) Variation in the closure of the sacral canal in the skeletal sample from Pompeii, Italy 79 AD. Perspect Human Biol 4:177–188

    Google Scholar 

  14. Mahnig H, Wimmer A (1998) City template Zürich: basic information on ethnic minorities and their participation. In: Report according to the grid for city templates of the MPMC project, Swiss forum for migration studies, Neuchatel

  15. Price C (1999) Australian population: ethnic origins. People Place 7:12–16

    Google Scholar 

  16. Post RH (1966) Pilot study: population differences in the frequency of spina bifida occulta. Eugen Q 13:341–352

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Lumley J, Watson L, Watson M et al (2000) Periconceptional supplementation with folate and/or multivitamins for preventing neural tube defects. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2:CD001056

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Bower C, D’Antoine H, Stanley FJ (2009) Neural tube defects in Australia: trends in encephaloceles and other neural tube defects before and after promotion of folic acid supplementation and voluntary food fortification. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol 85:269–273

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Poretti A, Anheier T, Zimmermann R et al (2008) Neural tube defects in Switzerland from 2001 to 2007: are periconceptual folic acid recommendations being followed? Swiss Med Wkly 138:608–613

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Canton Zürich.

Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors received any funding for this paper and all authors declare no conflict of interest related to this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Level 4 Bice Building, RAH, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia

    Yu Chao Lee & Lucian Bogdan Solomon

  2. Discipline of Orthopaedics and Trauma and Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, SA, 5005, Australia

    Lucian Bogdan Solomon

  3. Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr. 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Frank Jakobus Rühli, Regula Schiess & Lena Öhrström

  4. Discipline of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, SA, 5005, Australia

    Thomas Sullivan

  5. Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Hatem Alkadhi

  6. Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Research Unit, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, SA, 5005, Australia

    Maciej Henneberg

Authors
  1. Yu Chao Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lucian Bogdan Solomon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Frank Jakobus Rühli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Regula Schiess
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Lena Öhrström
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Thomas Sullivan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hatem Alkadhi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Maciej Henneberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu Chao Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lee, Y.C., Solomon, L.B., Rühli, F.J. et al. Confirmation of microevolutionary increase in spina bifida occulta among Swiss birth cohorts. Eur Spine J 20, 776–780 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-010-1519-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-010-1519-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation