Patient's question:
Frequency of urination, difficulty urinating. Tested urine four or five times, results were all normal. On February 11, 2009, a hospital examination and X-ray revealed that the lumbar and sacral 2 vertebral plates did not fully fuse. The doctor diagnosed it as a hidden spinal defect. The doctor said there was no medication for it and suggested diverting his attention and reducing the frequency of urination. It's fine during the day, but before taking a nap in the evening, he needs to urinate four or five times. The adults are very anxious. The child cannot urinate and cries. He also suffers from constipation, which may be related to this condition. Please help me understand this and give many suggestions. Thank you. The kind of help I care about: What medicine helps with spinal defects?Doctor's answer:
Spina bifida is a condition where the vertebral arches fail to fuse at the midline, resulting in a gap. It can be classified as either hidden or visible. The vertebral body, pedicle, and lamina of the vertebrae together form a nearly circular opening through which the spinal cord and its coverings pass. If the lamina fails to fuse again, this "circle" becomes incomplete, creating a gap. The spinal cord and coverings within this gap may be exposed, potentially leading to weakness if they are vulnerable. If this vulnerability causes additional symptoms, it is referred to as visible spina bifida. Conversely, if there are no additional symptoms, it is classified as hidden spina bifida.