The idea of the bridge was discussed in the Michigan Legislature as early as the 1880s. At the time, the Straits of Mackinac area was becoming a popular tourist destination, especially following the creation of Mackinac National Park on Mackinac Island in 1875.
The most common location for this malformation is the lumbar spine, the lower back. Because, by definition, a meningocele does not include any malformation of the spinal cord, typically there are not significant neurological symptoms of this malformation. The typical presentation is a bulging sac on the lower back in a newborn child.
The lumbar spine refers to the lower back, where the spine curves inward toward the abdomen. It starts about five or six inches below the shoulder blades, and connects with the thoracic spine at the top and extends downward to the sacral spine. Lumbar is derived from the Latin word lumbus, meaning lion, and the lumbar spine earns its name. It is built for both power and flexibility - lifting, twisting, and bending. See Spinal Anatomy and Back Pain. The lumbar spine has several distinguishing characteristics: The lower the vertebra is in the spinal column, the more weight it must bear. The five vertebrae of the lumbar spine (L1-L5) are the biggest unfused vertebrae in the spinal column, enabling them to support the weight of the entire torso.