Morphological Variations in Ulnar Supinator Crests and Fossae as Identifying Markers of Occupational Stress

Abstract

Recent morphometric studies of ulnae of prehistoric skeletal remains from populations known to have used spears, atlatls, and similar projectile weapons for hunting and warfare reveal a high incidence of hypertrophy of the ulnar crest, to which the supinator muscle is attached, along with pronounced depth of the adjacent supinator fossa, especially in the upper extremities of males. Similar features occur in the right ulnae of living persons of both sexes who are habitually engaged in certain occupational and athletic activities involving angular displacement of the forearm as a result of medial rotation of the arm at the shoulder, shoulder and arm rapid extension, and abrupt shifts from forearm supination to pronation. Aside from its forensic science implications in determination of right- or left-handedness as a trait peculiar to the individual, observation of these markers of stress on the proximal end of the ulna are significant in identification of skeletal remains of persons known to have engaged in specific brachial activities during life. The hiomechanics of these movement patterns and activities in which they occur, when properly interpreted, are relevant to forensic science problems of individual identification and paleoanthropological studies of occupational stress factors in extinct populations for which a skeletal record is available.

Understanding Entheses: Bridging the Gap Between Clinical and Anthropological Perspectives

“…Anthropologists and clinicians often presume morphological variability of long bone entheses result from strenuous, habitual activity, where muscle contractions are frequently recruited for limb movement (Kennedy, 1983;Hawkey, 1988;Lai and Lovell, 1992;Hawkey and Merbs, 1995;Chapman, 1997;Nagy, 1998;Peterson, 1998;Steen and Lane, 1998;Stirland, 1998;Cook and Dougherty, 2001;Benjamin et al, 2002Benjamin et al, , 2006Eshed et al, 2004). However, the relationship between soft and hard tissues, and its effect on enthesis morphology, lacks sufficient scientific testing.…”

The quest for the soldier’s rest: combining anthropological and archaeochemical approaches to study social and occupational diversity in the medieval graveyard of San Andrés de Arroyo (Palencia, Spain)

“…In this sense, it is important to bear in mind that EC are not necessarily the result of heavy work but more the consequence of repetitive work. For many authors, a link can be established between habitual physical activities during ontogeny and EC (Kennedy, 1983;Dutour, 1986;Hawkey and Merbs, 1995;Eshed et al, 2004;Weiss, 2007;Niinimäki, 2012), which should be understood as any deviation from normal anatomy at entheses, or area where a muscle, a ligament or a tendon attaches (Benjamin et al, 2002). Hawkey and Merbs (1995) defined them as marks that occur where muscle, tendon or ligament inserts onto the periosteum and into the underlying bony cortex.…”

“…Their skeleton location and degree of development give an indication of habitual activities involving specific muscles or groups of muscles (Godde and Taylor, 2011). EC have been used to glean cultural behaviour (Molnar, 2006;Lieverse et al, 2011;Molnar et al, 2011;Weiss, 2014;Foster et al, 2015), to infer differences related to labour and professions (Kennedy, 1983;Dutour, 1986;Hawkey and Merbs, 1995;Al-Oumaoui et al, 2004;Molnar, 2006;Mariotti et al, 2007;Villotte et al, 2010a;Havelková et al, 2011;Palmer et al, 2014;Santana-Cabrera et al, 2015) and to define changes in muscular activity along the evolutionary history of the human lineage (Drapeau, 2008;Milella, 2014). This paper presents the results of novel research combining, for the first time, both approaches (strontium isotope ratios and EC).…”

Human Paleopathology: Current Syntheses and Future Options

“…Unlike similar British work (Lawrence 1955 (Sairanen et al 1981 (1984). In this review, the controversial nature of the etiology of the degenerative arthropathies, the enthesopathies, and their relationship to occupational stress are clearly discussed and evaluated in the context of disorders of the neck and shoulder (1984:270-275 Other morphological variants used as occupational stress markers are supinator crests and fossae of ulnae (Kennedy 1983). The hypertrophy of the crests, deepening of the fossae, and "ridging" of the insertion of the anconeus muscle were found in prehistoric samples in males "known" to have used missile weapons such as spears (Kennedy 1983:872 (Kaplan and Resnick 1986 Rule ( 1982Rule ( .…”

“…, a terra cotta figure has been considered representative of leprosy (Grmek 1983:232 Steinbock (1976:197-198), Grmek (1983:291-306), Manchester (1984), and Clark et al (1987:50-51 Angel ( 1964. 1966, 1967) Stuart-Macadam (1982,1987b Other morphological variants used as occupational stress markers are supinator crests and fossae of ulnae (Kennedy 1983). The hypertrophy of the crests, deepening of the fossae, and "ridging" of the insertion of the anconeus muscle were found in prehistoric samples in males "known" to have used missile weapons such as spears (Kennedy 1983:872 (Figure 2).…”