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Congenital spine deformities: timing of insult during development of the spine in utero

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Abstract

The development of the spine and spinal cord occurs at the earliest weeks of gestation. Their development not only affects each other but also are most likely associated with anomalies in other systems. It is essential to recognize the stages of spine development to understand the cause of congenital spinal deformities and their influences on the postnatal growing spine. A vast majority of congenital spinal problems are not evident clinically. For instance, the presence of neural axis abnormalities, such as spinal dysraphism or syringomyelia, may be so subtle that patients never seek medical care. Certain vertebral formation disorders such as hemivertebrae may remain asymptomatic throughout life if they are balanced while those with congenital bars may develop severe deformity. Major defects in the spine are often associated with abnormalities of the other organs such as cardiovascular and genital urinary system that warrants close attention by multidisciplinary specialists. A thorough understanding of the basics of embryology, which serves as a window into the development of the spine, is necessary to enable the practitioner to appreciate why, when, and where the numerous spine deformities develop in utero. Besides, certain developmental defects manifest in adulthood including spondylolysis, degenerative disc disease, congenital spinal stenosis, and even tumors like cordoma. Thus, understanding embryology can assist to establish the proper diagnosis and ensure optimal treatment.

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Acknowledgements

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Funding

This study was not funded.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norton Leatherman Spine Center, University of Louisville, 210 East Gray Street, Suite 900, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA

    Naveed Nabizadeh & John R. Dimar

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  1. Naveed Nabizadeh
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  2. John R. Dimar
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Contributions

Conception or design of the work: NN, JRD. Acquisition of data: NN, JRD. Analysis of data: NN, JRD. Interpretation of data: NN, JRD. Creation of new software used in the work: NN, JRD. Drafted the work: NN, JRD. Revised it critically: NN, JRD. Approved the version to be published: NN, JRD. Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work: NN, JRD.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Naveed Nabizadeh.

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Conflict of interests

Dr. Naveed Nabizadeh has no conflict of interest. Dr. John Dimar has received grant from OREF, NIH, ISSG, SRS, TSRH, Pfizer, Life sciences Corporation, Intelli Rod, Cerapedics, Medtronic, Empirical Spine and Neuro Point Alliance. Furthermore, he obtained personal fees from DePuy, Medtronic, Stryker and Norton Healthcare as well. In addition, Dr. Dimar has gained Non-Financial supports from AAOS, FOSA.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. The manuscript submitted does not contain information about medical devices or drugs. This study is not human subjects’ research and exempts from review by IRB.

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This article looks through the relevant previously published articles and does not study with medical records or human participants.

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Nabizadeh, N., Dimar, J.R. Congenital spine deformities: timing of insult during development of the spine in utero. Spine Deform 10, 31–44 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43390-021-00395-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43390-021-00395-3

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