State of the art in translating experimental myelomeningocele research to the bedside.

Myelomeningocele (MMC), the commonest type of spina bifida (SB), occurs due to abnormal development of the neural tube and manifest as failure of the complete fusion of posterior arches of the spinal column, leading to dysplastic growth of the spinal cord and meninges. It is associated with several degrees of motor and sensory deficits below the level of the lesion, as well as skeletal deformities, bladder and bowel incontinence, and sexual dysfunction. These children might develop varying degrees of neuropsychomotor delay, partly due to the severity of the injuries that affect the nervous system before birth, partly due to the related cerebral malformations (notably hydrocephalus-which may also lead to an increase in intracranial pressure-and Chiari II deformity).