Non canalized sacrum with absent sacral hiatus- a case report with its clinical significance

Variations in the morphology of sacrum are commonly reported in literature. The present case report describes a rare case of completely non–canalized sacrum or spina bifida occulta with complete midline gap in the posterior aspect of the canal, observed during regular osteology classes for the first year medical students of Yenepoya medical college, Mangalore. These anatomical variations are of clinical significance to orthopaedicians and anaesthetists as this may lead to failure in sophisticated clinical procedures like trans-pedicular screw fixation and caudal epidural block and may injure the neural structures of the canal.