Diastematomyelia: report of 21 cases surgically treated by a neurosurgical and orthopedic team.

We studied 21 cases of diastematomyelia associated with myelo-meningocele (3 cases) or congenital spine deformities (18 cases). Analysis of bone and neuraxis abnormalities with special reference to the spinal canal, related to operative findings demonstrate in all cases an embarrassed cord by localized compression or global narrowing of the malformed spinal canal (11 cases), bone spur fixation (13 cases) and tethered cord associated lesions (5 cases). Mechanisms of neural damage and prophylactic value of laminectomy before the orthopedic treatment of the curve during the same operation is discussed.