In these cases, the dura and arachnoid are split into two separate dural and arachnoidal sacs, each surrounding the corresponding hemicord which are not necessarily symmetric. Each hemicord contains a central canal, one dorsal horn (giving rise to a dorsal nerve root), and one ventral horn (giving rise to a ventral nerve root.) One study showed the bony spur typically situated at the most inferior aspect of the dural cleft. They advised that if the imaging appears to show otherwise, a second spur (present in about 5% of patients with diastematomyelia) is likely to be present. The conus medullaris is situated below the L2 level in more than 75% of these diastematomyelia patients. Thickening of the filum terminale is seen in over half of the cases. While the level of the cleft is variable, it is most commonly found in the lumbar region. The two hemicords usually reunite caudally to the cleft. Occasionally, however, the cleft will extend unusually low and the cord will end with two separate coni medullarae and two fila terminale ("Diplomyelia"). Diagnosis
Adult presentation in diastematomyelia is unusual. With modern imaging techniques, various types of spinal dysraphism are being diagnosed in adults with increasing frequency. The commonest location of the lesion is at first to third lumbar vertebrae. Lumbosacral adult diastematomyelia is even rarer. Bony malformations and dysplasias are generally recognized on plain x-rays. MRI scanning is often the first choice of screening and diagnosis.
One third of these patients die, one third survives with a major neurological condition, and only one third survives in good condition; therefore shaken baby syndrome puts children at risk of long-term disability. The most frequent neurological impairments are learning disabilities, seizure disorders, speech disabilities, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, and visual disorders. Epidemiology
Small children are at particularly high risk for the abuse that causes SBS given the large difference in size between the small child and an adult. SBS usually occurs in children under the age of two but may occur in those up to age five. In the US, deaths due to SBS constitute about 10% of deaths due to child abuse. History
In 1971, Norman Guthkelch proposed that whiplash injury caused subdural bleeding in infants by tearing the veins in the subdural space. The term "whiplash shaken infant syndrome" was introduced by Dr. John Caffey, a pediatric radiologist, in 1973, describing a set of symptoms found with little or no external evidence of head trauma, including retinal bleeds and intracranial bleeds with subdural or subarachnoid bleeding or both. Development of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging techniques in the 1970s and 1980s advanced the ability to diagnose the syndrome. Legal issues
The Presidents Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST) noted in its September 2016 report that there are concerns regarding the scientific validity of forensic evidence of abusive head trauma that "require urgent attention".