Degenerative joint disease in the Chalcolithic population of El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): The vertebral column

Abstract

Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is one of the most common pathological conditions identified in the archaeological record and remains a health problem in modern populations. This study aimed to evaluate DJD of the vertebral column in a sample from a Chalcolithic collective burial at El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) dated to 4,880–4,390 years cal. BP. Most of the human remains recovered were commingled and are in a good state of preservation. Traditionally, far too little attention has been paid to skeletal remains from secondary contexts. Bearing in mind the limitations inherent to this type of study, in this work, we applied an adapted methodology to examine the degree of vertebral degeneration considering the skeletal changes associated with DJD (i.e., osteophyte formation, porosity, lipping and/or eburnation). All data were evaluated at the 0.05 level using the chi‐squared statistic, and comparisons were made between age groups and between the spine regions. Our results showed a higher prevalence of DJD in the lumbar region, although eburnation was the least observed marker in the sample. Additionally, significant differences were found between age groups, with a greater manifestation of DJD in vertebral elements associated with the adult group. These results are consistent with those of other studies and are based on the hypothesis that DJD is highly correlated with age. Overall, the degree of vertebral degeneration is low, but taken together, these results suggest that some individuals from El Mirador cave may have suffered from DJD. Furthermore, the methodology proposed has demonstrated that valuable information can be obtained from commingled skeletal assemblages.

Degenerative joint changes of the thoracic spine with respect to sex and age

“…This is also the case for prehistoric Amerindians from Alabama where the greatest frequency of osteoarthritis occurred on T7-T10 and T12, with a peak at T9/T10 (Bridges, 1994). Other studies have identified the lower thoracic as particularly vulnerable to degenerative joint changes (Űstűndağ, 2009;Yustos et al, 2021); however, the upper thoracic is also cited as a location of extensive degenerative joint changes associated with osteoarthritis (Jurmain, 1990). Larsen (2015) suggests the lower thoracic vertebrae bear the greatest degree of mechanical loading.…”

“…Walking erect places great strain on the thoracic vertebrae and has for millions of years (Cook et al, 1983) as well as more recently in prehistory (Trinkaus, 1985). Given this antiquity of vertebral degenerative markers it should be no surprise that deterioration of the spine is quite common in extant humans by 40 years (Bridges, 1994;Ortner, 2003;Quispe & Williams, 2019), but its expression is minor compared to individuals of more advanced ages (López-Barrales et al, 2015;Mays & Dungworth, 2009;Snodgrass, 2004;Űstűndağ, 2009;Yustos et al, 2021). Degeneration of the skeleton accelerates after 50 years and virtually everyone has some form of osteoarthritis by 65 years of age (Solomon, 2001).…”

“…Yet there is variation in the way in which these diagnostic principles are applied. Whereas some collapse the categories of eburnation and other degenerative joint changes under osteoarthritis (Austin, 2017;Becker & Goldstein, 2018;Gibbon et al, 2014;Palmer et al, 2016;Űstűndağ, 2009), others tabulate these markers separately (Henderson et al, 2013;Molnar et al, 2011;Plomp et al, 2015;Roberts et al, 2006;Suby & Giberto, 2019;Watkins, 2012;Woo & Sciulli, 2013;Yustos et al, 2021;Zoëga & Murphy, 2016). Given these conflicting diagnostic criteria, the Standards (Buikstra & Ubelaker, 1994) were chosen to rank degenerative joint changes independently as others have done (Henderson et al, 2013;Watkins, 2012;Williamson, 2015;Woo & Sciulli, 2013;Yustos et al, 2021;Zoëga & Murphy, 2016).…”

“…In adulthood, and increasingly during the post-reproductive interval, a combination of progressive, deteriorative loss of bony tissue leads to porosity whereas reactive bone formation in the articular surfaces of the joints causes marginal ostephytic lipping (Knüsel et al, 1997;Larsen, 2015;Snodgrass, 2004). Once the joint capsule has suffered collapse and the mating articular pairs establish contact, the subsequent friction between elements results in eburnation (Molnar et al, 2011;Waldron, 2009;Yustos et al, 2021). In addition to age, other factors such as sex, genetics, obesity, genetic predisposition and occupational stress may increase the severity of degenerative joint changes (Chen et al, 2017;Jurmain, 1977;McGonagle et al, 2010;Ortner, 2003;Weiss & Jurmain, 2007).…”

Sex-Based Differences in Age-Related Changes of the Vertebral Column from a Bronze Age Urban Population in Ancient China

“…Age-related changes of the vertebral column are generally advanced by daily work activities (i.e. heavy labor) or by chronic and habitual stress (Merbs 1996;Katzman et al 2010;Pili et al 2018;Aguirre et al 2020;Yustos et al 2021). Weposit that it is beneficial to study male-female differences in the age-related change patterns of the vertebral column in light of the male-female differences in biological and sociocultural elements.…”