The association of congenital spinal anomalies with imperforate anus.

Ninety-four patients with congenital imperforate anus were studied to investigate: (1) the incidence of congenital spinal anomalies; (2) the orthopedic significance of these anomalies; (3) the incidence of other musculoskeletal disorders; and (4) the incidence of anomalies in other organ systems in the anal-spine anomaly group. There was a 38% incidence of spinal anomalies in 94 patients with congenital imperforate anus. Most of these abnormalities were sacral, and there were no related or progressive spinal deformities. The incidence of other musculoskeletal anomalies was much lower than of the spine (only 9% of the total). The triad of caudal regression-imperforate anus, spinal anomalies, and genitourinary tract anomalies-was present in 19 (53%) of the 36 cases, much more than any other combination of major system abnormalities such as the VATER of VACTEL syndromes.