Spinal Disorder

I'm not entirely certain this is the right forum for this, but I figured it had to do with the spinal cord and this seemed like the best fit unless I missed something. So a buddy of mine was just diagnosed with a disorder, but I didn't get the name of it, and was hoping for an answer here. He even couldn't remember exactly what it was, as he was paying more attention to what it meant than the complex medical name.

Basically, a few of the bones in his cervical spine are not completely grown around the spinal cord. I thought this was Spina Bifida, but he said he didn't think that was it. Does anyone else have an answer for me on this. Also, does anyone know of surgical solutions to this issue. Thanks.

--Paul