Why is Spina Bifida most common in the lumbo-sacral region of the spinal cord?

[genessadrianne]

Hi everyone! :)

I have a question concerning the area that Spina Bifida affects. I understand from research that out of the entire spinal cord the lumbo-sacral region is the most common area that is affected, but does anyone know why this is so?

Thank you, in advance, for the help!

[Barb]

I am going to take a complete shot in the dark here with this guess but I am thinking that it may be because the higher the opening the more involved the disability is. I wonder if just more babies survive this with a lower level. Meaning that it probably occurs as often but those pregnancies tend to result in miscarriages more.

[eng188]

That seems to make sense. I'm a T2 myself, and people are always pretty amazed. It's supposed to be much more serious, but I have full feeling and use lofstrand crutches.

[Dodger67]

Another shot in the dark:
The spinal chord closes like a zipper from the top down. This means that the lumbo-sacral area is the last to close. As it is open longer than higher up there is more time for the process to go wrong.

[Dodger67]

Just remembered an interesting statistic (sorry can't remember where I heard/read it):
The higher the lesion, the higher the chance of miscarriage or early post-natal death. Babies with higher lesions simply don't survive as often as those with lower lesions.

[Brandy0215]

That seems to make sense. I'm a T2 myself, and people are always pretty amazed. It's supposed to be much more serious, but I have full feeling and use lofstrand crutches.

I'm T2-T3 and nobody really knows i have SB unless i tell them.

[LisaJoy]

Except that cervical myelomeningocele tends to be milder than other types and rarely involves paralysis (I posted a source on this recently elsewhere). It is also the most rare occurrence.

I think Dodger's theory about the lower cord being the last to close in gestation is reasonable. There probably is some complicated fetal development explanation. Or it may be one of those things that no one knows.

[printemps]

Yes all of these answers make alot of sense I am sacral level and I looked at those diagrams of sb levels and that is where the bladder & bowel nerves are located , I had always wondered why some people with higher lesions than myself had better bladder control than me but had more difficulties with mobility I suppose it all depends on what the nerves at that level were supposed to do ?...