Osteoarthritis in a Black Death cemetery in London

Age-specific prevalence rates were determined in a group of skeletons recovered from a Black Death plague pit in London. The disease showed the expected increase in prevalence with age but these rates were lower than those in the contemporary population and the disease was more frequent in men than in women. In the majority of cases the disease affected one joint only and there were no cases of generalized osteoarthritis. The sites most commonly affected were the facet joints of the spine, the acromioclavicular joint and the hands; there were relatively few cases in which the large joints were affected but the knee was slightly more frequently affected than the hip.     

The prevalence of,and the relationship between some spinal diseases in a human skeletal population from London

The prevalence of osteoarthritis, osteophytosis, intervertebral disc disease and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) was determined in a group of skeletons excavated from the crypt of Christ Church, Spitalfields. Age-specific prevalence rates were calculated from the group of skeletons for which age at death was known from intact coffin plates. Osteoarthritis of the facet joints occurred most frequently in the cervical and upper thoracic regions and was also common in the lower lumbar spine. The disease was more frequently bilateral in the lumbar spine than in upper regions. Osteophytes were common in the thoracic and lumbar spines, whereas intervertebral disc disease was confined almost completely to the cervical region. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis seemed to be underrepresented in this group, but was more common in males than in females. Age correlated significantly with all the conditions except DISH. Multiple regression analysis was carried out using each of the conditions as the dependent variable in turn. Age accounted for more of the variance than any of the other conditions added as independent variables.     

Morphological Characteristics of Healthy and Osteoarthritic Joint Surfaces in Archaeological Skeletons

Osteoarthritis is a major health concern in living populations, as well as being one of the most common pathological lesions identified in the archaeological record. The aetiology of the disease remains unclear, with a multi‐factorial influence of physical strain, age, genetics, and obesity. Previous studies have identified a relationship between the presence of knee osteoarthritis on the distal femoral joint and the morphology of the intercondylar notch, patellar groove, and medial condyle. The current study expands this research to investigate the relationship between distal femoral, distal humeral, and proximal ulnar joint morphology and osteoarthritis with 3D shape analysis techniques. These methods provide a more detailed analysis of joint morphology in order to determine any relationship between 3D shape and osteoarthritis. The results indicate a complex relationship between joint shape and knee osteoarthritis, with eburnated right femora showing a statistically significant association. The shapes associated with eburnated or affected femoral joints can be explained by osteophyte development, and therefore likely represent systematic shape changes and not a particular joint shape predisposing individuals to the condition. There was no identifiable relationship found in the proximal ulna or distal humerus, indicating that joint shape is unlikely to influence the development of the condition in the elbow joint and that any shape changes produced by osteoarthritis are not systematic or quantifiable. The joints analysed in this study were highly influenced by asymmetry, sexual dimorphism, and allometry, resulting in a small sample size of affected joints in many datasets. Further analyses of large skeletal samples are needed to more thoroughly investigate the possible relationship of distal femoral joint shape and osteoarthritis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inter-observer variation in coding osteoarthritis in human skeletal remains

Thirty-eight participants at the VIIIth European Meeting of the Paleopathology Association took part in a study of inter-observer variation in scoring osteoarthritis in human skeletal remains. Ten specimens representing different joints were used and five criteria of osteoarthritis were scored. Eleven of the 38 participants ranked themselves as beginners, 13 as experienced and six as very experienced; the data were subsequently examined using the results from these 30, comparing beginners with experts. Agreement as to whether or not changes were present on the specimens and on the degree of change was seldom complete but was greater when scoring eburnation and the presence of new bone on the joint surface than for the three other criteria. There was little difference between beginners and experts. Although all the specimens were chosen to meet our published criteria for osteoarthritis, the experts were unanimous is agreeing the diagnosis in only three cases and the beginners in only one. These results suggest that more work needs to be done to develop operational definitions for the classification of disease in palaeopathology and that great care must be taken when comparing disease frequencies between studies.     

Skeletal distribution of degenerative changes in vertebral osteophytosis,vertebral osteoarthritis and DISH

In order to comprehend the condition of vertebral osteophytosis, vertebral osteoarthritis and DISH (diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis) with respect to diagnosis and aetiology, the vertebral and peripheral (appendicular) frequency and distribution pattern of degenerative joint changes of 176 rather affluent citizens were analysed from the late medieval city of Dordrecht in Holland. Patterns of frequencies with respect to age and sex were found to be similar essentially to those of a present-day Dutch suburban village population. Frequencies for vertebral osteophytosis were twice those for vertebral osteoarthritis, and both increased with age in both sexes. The individual pattern of vertebral osteophytosis and vertebral osteoarthritis seems to indicate that each disorder possesses its own progressive identity. From the distribution pattern and frequency of peripheral osteoarthritis it was concluded, with respect to the vulnerability of developing this complication under physically moderate life conditions, that causal factors for vertebral osteophytosis are less important than those for vertebral osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis presented itself as a systemic disorder, affecting synovial joints in general. Finally it was appreciated that, with increasing age, bony outgrowths from joint degeneration become anatomically masked by para-articular ossifications from DISH.     

Erosive peripheral polyarthritis in ancient Japanese skeletons: A possible case of rheumatoid arthritis

The antiquity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is still in dispute, due to the difficulty of conclusively differentiating peripheral polyarthritis, especially from spondyloarthropathy, in archaeological populations. In view of the importance of genetic factors in developing spondyloarthropathy and of the far lower prevalence of the disease in modern Japanese, a rarity of peripheral polyarthritis would be anticipated in the ancient Japanese population, given that RA had not been present there. One hundred and sixty adult Japanese skeletons of the late and final Jomon period (3400–2400 years bp ) were examined to find peripheral polyarthritis. There was one male skeleton with peripheral polyarthritis, showing marginal and surface erosions in the joints of the hands, feet, ankle and zygoapopheseal joints of the thoracic vertebrae. RA is suggested as the most probable cause of this pathology. This report raises the significance of further studies to consider whether more cases than anticipated exist in skeletal populations that would have been resistant to developing spondyloarthropathy. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in the distribution of osteoarthritis over historical time

A total of 2635 skeletons recovered from different sites in England was examined for the presence of osteoarthritis (OA); 206 were from pre-medieval sites, 1453 from medieval sites and 976 from post-medieval sites. Where OA was considered to be present in a joint, the site was noted and for each time period the total number of anatomical sites with the condition was determined and the number of major sites with OA (10 in number) was expressed as a proportion of this total. There were no differences in the distribution of osteoarthritis between the pre-medieval and medieval periods but there were between the medieval and post-medieval periods. In the post-medieval period the proportion of osteoarthritis of the knee increased whereas that of the hip decreased; the proportion of osteoarthritis of the hands also increased whereas that of the wrist decreased. Other data presented indicate that patellofemoral disease is about twice as common as tibio-femoral disease in both medieval and post-medieval periods and that lateral compartment disease is almost as common as medial compartment disease.     

Assessment of Musculoskeletal Stress Marker Development in the Hand

The analysis of musculoskeletal stress marker (MSM) development is a commonly employed tool in osteological surveys and is used to infer patterns of occupational activity and societal organisation in archaeological populations. Although the majority of research into upper limb MSMs has focused on the bones of the arm, the bones of the hand have been conspicuous by their absence. This is likely to be due to methodological issues surrounding the study of hand bones and a presumed lack of variation in MSM development in this area. To date, there have been no systematic studies investigating the presence and variation in MSM morphology for the muscles of the human hand. To address this issue, a presence/absence scoring system was developed for twelve sites of muscle origin and insertion in the metacarpals and phalanges, which was used to determine bilateral asymmetry in the hands of 31 individuals from the Naval Hospital Cemetery site in Greenwich, London. Analysis found observable variation in MSM development between and within the hands, which could be used to determine patterns of asymmetry within the sample. Comparisons with MSM scores from the humeri of these individuals indicate a differentiation in MSM development and asymmetry between these anatomical regions. Levels of asymmetry in the hands and humeri were generally low, with only the dorsal interossei displaying statistically significant asymmetry. Subsequent upper limb MSM research will benefit from the inclusion of data from the hands. These results do not support the continued use of the humerus as a proxy for MSM expression across the upper limb as a whole and suggest that important information regarding behavioural asymmetry in the hands is being lost because of the continual exclusion of this anatomical unit from MSM research. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lucayan–Taíno burials from Preacher's cave,Eleuthera, Bahamas

In March 2007, three prehistoric skeletons were excavated and analysed from Preacher's Cave on the northern aspect of the island of Eleuthera in the Bahama archipelago. The human skeletal remains represent two males and one female dating to AD 800–1300. The first is a female in the 30s with mild osteoarthritis of the joints and spine and several healed fractures who may have been an important community elder. The second is a male in the 20s with Schmorl's nodes who may have been a shaman or even a victim of interpersonal violence. The third is a male in the mid to late 20s also with marginal osteoarthritis of the joints and spine who may have been a ceremonial leader and village headman. The high incidence of carious lesions implies a cariogenic diet possibly rich in starchy foodstuffs or even fructose. The presence of grave goods and plaited mats suggest that at least two individuals may have been of high status. This study emphasises the significance of caves to Lucayan–Taíno mythology, cosmology and mortuary practice. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

河南焦作聂村商代晚期墓地人骨研究

通过对河南焦作聂村商代晚期遗址出土的人骨进行观察、测量和数据统计分析,结果表明,聂村商代晚期墓地所出人骨的死亡年龄主要集中在中年期,颅骨种族特征与古中原类型的殷墟中小墓(2)组最近似,成年男性居民平均身高为165.41厘米。在聂村商代晚期人骨上还发现筛状眶与多孔性骨肥厚、骨性关节炎等骨骼病理,两性在龋病患齿率上存在显著差异,女性明显高于男性。     

Dolnı́ Věstonice 15: Pathology and Persistence in the Pavlovian

Several lines of archaeological and human palaeontological data from the Moravian earlier Gravettian (or Pavlovian) indicate a high level of mobility among these earlier Upper Palaeolithic human populations. The congenitally abnormal young adult Dolnı́ Věstonice 15 human remains support this pattern. Dolnı́ Věstonice 15 suffered serious developmental abnormalities, most likely as a result of the X-linked dominant form of chondrodysplasia calcificans punctata, that included pronounced infantile and minor later childhood developmental defects of dental enamel (enamel hypoplasia), asymmetrical curvature and angular deformities of the proximal femora, asymmetrical shortening of the femora, a diaphyseal deformity of the distal right humerus, a probable healed left ulnar fracture with associated deformity of the radial diaphysis, elevated length asymmetries of the forearms, and an unusual pattern of anomalies of tooth position and number. These are combined with trivial intervertebral articular degenerations, plus localized pronounced osteoarthritis of the right glenohumeral joint and right second and fifth ray hand proximal interphalangeal joints. Yet, there is little asymmetry of the lower limbs distal of the mid-femora, and both diaphyseal hypertrophy of the humeri, femora and tibiae and relative arm and leg muscle attachment size and moment arms indicate a level of skeletal hypertrophy average to high for an earlier Upper Palaeolithic human. The severe upper limb osteoarthritis may indicate a pattern of pronounced and repetitive carrying or dragging of heavy loads. These data indicate the ability of the population to keep a severely affected individual alive through development, yet they also emphasize the necessity for all individuals to participate actively in the elevated mobility and overall activity levels of these earlier Upper Palaeolithic human populations.     

Skeletal markers of occupational stress in the Fur Trade: A case study from a Hudson's Bay Company Fur Trade post

The Seafort Burial Site (FcPr100) is a Fur Trade Period cemetery located near the town of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. The results of recent analysis of skeletons recovered during salvage excavations between 1969 and 1971 suggest that three males in this sample were voyageurs in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company. Vertebral osteophytosis and osteoarthritis, Schmorl's nodes, muscle origin robusticity and new bone formation at entheses and syndesmoses, and osteoarthritis at the elbow and shoulder joints provide evidence for carrying, lifting, and paddling or rowing. The presence of accessory sacral facets also may be stress-related. In addition, the development of accessory articular facets on the metatarsals and proximal pedal phalanges may indicate activity-induced stress from hyperdorsiflexion of the toes in habitual kneeling, such as when river canoeing.     

Osteoarthritis and body mass

Osteoarthritis is the second most common pathology found in anthropological collections. Although a great deal is known about osteoarthritis, it is not yet known whether in skeletal populations there is a correlation between osteoarthritis and body mass. In this study, lower limb and spinal osteoarthritis scores were taken to determine whether body mass and femoral length correlate with osteoarthritis on weight bearing joints. Osteoarthritis was measured using a four-point ordinal scale on a sample of 114 adult prehistoric Californian Amerinds. Body mass was calculated from femoral head breadth; femoral length was measured using standard procedures; and age and sex were determined through standard osteological procedures. Using Spearman correlations, body mass and femoral length did not correlate significantly with any of the osteoarthritis variables. Age correlated significantly with nearly all of the osteoarthritis variables (hip, r = 0.507; knee, r = 0.528; cervical, r = 0.513; thoracic, r = 0.647; lumbar, r = 0.507, P-values < 0.001); and body mass and femoral length correlated with sex (r-values = 0.835 and 0.654, P-values < 0.001). With age and sex controls, body mass negatively correlated with the hip osteoarthritis variable (r = −0.202, P < 0.05), but not with any of the other osteoarthritis variables. Results concur with previous findings in the anthropological literature and highlight complexities of osteoarthritis etiology.     

The Relationship between the Two Types of Vertebral Degenerative Joint Disease in a Joseon Dynasty Population,Korea

The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between degenerative joint disease (DJD) in the apophyseal joints and intervertebral joints in the vertebral column and assess which vertebral DJD is the more reliable indicator of general activity‐related stress. We hypothesized that the more reflecting vertebral DJD for general activity‐related stress would appear to show a higher correlation with Schmorl's nodes (SNs). To test this hypothesis, we examined 125 individuals from Eunpyeong Cemetery (mid‐15th to early 20th centuries) in Seoul, Korea and analyzed the frequencies of two types of vertebral DJD and their relationship with SNs. Cross‐tabulation chi‐square tests were used to evaluate the significance of the differences between frequencies of vertebral pathologies. In conclusion, results revealed that the relationship between the two kinds of vertebral DJD appeared differently depending on vertebral region, joint type and sex. The test results of association between the two types of vertebral DJD were statistically significant at the cervical and lumbar regions of males. SNs appeared independently of the pattern of vertebral DJD in nearly all joints with the exception of a correlation between DJD in the intervertebral joints and SNs of the lumbar region in females. As indicated in some studies, this study reconfirmed that the differences in the two kinds of vertebral DJD result from differences in normal vertebral morphology and anatomical function. This study contributes to the overall discussion on the relationship between vertebral DJD and physical activity by showing that the detailed recording and understanding of the two types of vertebral DJD is required before they can be used convincingly in a study on activity‐related stress. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simple method for calculating the prevalence of disease in a past human population

A simple method for calculating the prevalence of disease in a past human population is described with particular reference to osteoarthritis. It can be applied to diseases other than osteoarthritis, and should prove particularly useful when studying the epidemiology of other diseases which affect numerous sites within the body and where the overall prevalence cannot be obtained simply by adding the prevalences of the individual sites, because more than one may be affected in the same skeleton. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Schmorl's nodes in a post‐medieval skeletal sample from Klostermarienberg,Austria

The prevalence and distribution pattern of Schmorl's nodes (SNs) were studied in a post‐medieval skeletal sample (n = 473) from the 16^th–18^th century cemetery of Klostermarienberg, Austria. The reasons for the prevalence and distribution pattern of SNs in this sample are discussed with regard to their aetiology. SNs were correlated with age and sex as well as with degenerative spinal joint disease such as vertebral osteophytosis (VO) and apophyseal osteoarthritis (OA). SNs were most commonly found in the lower thoracic region, in agreement with other studies. Males were more affected than females by SNs, especially in the lower thoracic region. SNs show a completely different distribution pattern to VO and OA. Additionally, there was no relationship found between SNs and ageing. Observed differences in the prevalence of SNs in the vertebral column and between the sexes suggest that mechanical factors may be responsible. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The chronology of epiphyseal union in the hand and foot from dry bone observations

Dry bone data for epiphyseal union at the hand and foot are scarce, incomplete or inexistent. This study documents the timing of fusion of secondary ossification centres at the hand and foot in a sample of known‐age human skeletons. The sample comprises 92 individuals (49 females and 43 males), between the ages of 9 and 22 years, from the identified skeletal collection curated at the National Museum of Natural History in Lisbon, Portugal. Epiphyseal union was recorded on the right and left side at the long bones of the hand (metacarpus and phalanges) and foot (metatarsus and phalanges), and also at the talus and calcaneus, using a three stage scheme (non‐fused; partially fused and completely fused). In the hand, intra‐observer agreement was 99% and inter‐observer agreement was 98%. In the foot, both intra‐ and inter‐observer agreement reached 100%. Lateral asymmetry was not significant and only 1.1% of the individuals in the sample were found to be asymmetric in the stage of epiphyseal fusion (1.8% in the hand and 0.3% in the foot). A minimum mean advancement of 1–2 years in females relative to males was observed. In the hand bones, epiphyseal union occurred between 12–18 years in females and 16–18 years in males. Comparatively, in the foot bones, epiphyseal union occurred slightly later, with the exception of the talus and calcaneus, which are the earliest bones to mature. Data in this study can be used to estimate the age of unidentified skeletal remains, either directly or by aiding in the modification of incomplete or imprecise data that have been collected over the years. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intervertebral chondrocalcinosis: an exercise in differential diagnosis in palaeopathology

Intervertebral chondrocalcinosis (calcification of intervertebral discs and associated structures) may arise from a variety of causes. This work presents a discussion of intervertebral chondrocalcinosis and the identification of its most probable cause in skeletal remains, using as a case study a skeleton of an elderly male from medieval Ipswich, UK. The skeleton is examined using gross observation and radiography, and the intervertebral calcifications are subject to chemical analysis. In addition to intervertebral chondrocalcinosis (which has resulted in ankylosis of lumbo‐sacral segments), lesions identified include chondrocalcinosis at some synovial joints, various soft tissue calcified bodies, and severe osteoarthritis particularly at the gleno‐humeral joints. Interpretation of the results of the chemical analysis of the calcified deposits is complicated by diagenesis, but they are most consistent with apatite and/or whitlockite. Arriving at a most probable cause of the lesions in this case is difficult, but it is tentatively suggested that ochronosis may be the best diagnostic option. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.