Osseous talocalcaneal coalition in a medieval skeleton (ca. 1050 AD)

Hofmann, Maria Ines; Böni, Thomas; Rühli, Frank J

doi:10.1002/oa.1080

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…However, even in cases of OSC, the remainder of the joint surfaces between the calcaneus and talus are usually unaffected by the coalition (Figure 7, Supporting Materials fig. 10; Hofmann et al ., 2010). In rare cases, the coalition may occur at the margin of the posterior facet of the calcaneus, as was true for one of our South African skeletons (Supporting Materials fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite a relatively high frequency of tarsal coalition among some populations (Pfitzner, 1896; Rühli et al ., 2003), the non‐osseous form of coalition has received relatively little attention by physical anthropologists until recently, when there has been a notable increase in documented archaeological cases of CN and TC coalition (e.g. Silva, 2005; Darton, 2007; Hofmann et al ., 2010; Dinwiddy, 2009; Silva, 2010; Silva & Silva, 2010). The earlier lack of attention to these coalitions is understandable, given that the morphology of NOC lesions in dry bone is difficult to ascertain from radiographs and other imaging technologies, and that photographs or illustrations of dry bone specimens have only been published for a few types (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identification of tarsal coalition and frequency estimates from skeletal samples

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Burnett

2010

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Tarsal coalition is a congenital defect that results when adjacent tarsals fail to separate properly during embryonic development. Anatomically, coalitions present as non-osseous bridges of cartilage or fibrocartilage -and occasionally as osseous bridges -between two neighboring bones. In skeletons, non-osseous tarsal coalitions are recognizable as matching lesions between two bones at predictable locations. These coalitions are of interest because they are known to be heritable and are therefore useful for tracing genetic relatives in archaeological cemeteries, because they can be misinterpreted in skeletons as trauma or joint disease, and because they can result in associated pathology. However, despite a considerable literature on tarsal coalition, estimates of coalition frequencies disagree considerably, perhaps due to biases inherent in clinical sampling. In order to gain a better estimate of tarsal coalition frequencies in human populations, data were gathered on 342 European-Americans from the Terry Collection (Smithsonian Institution), 536 South Africans from the Dart Collection (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa), and 756 medieval Danish skeletons (Anthropological Database, Odense University). The Danish skeletons are archaeological, with sample sizes by coalition type ranging from 366-507 individuals. Examples of eight different types of intertarsal coalition were identified among the 1634 skeletons examined. Overall frequency estimates for tarsal coalition ranged from 2.1%-3.5%. South Africans exhibited significantly higher frequencies in the midfoot, with naviculocuneiform I coalition (1.0%) the most common type. Conversely, no coalitions of the midfoot were found among the Euro-Americans or medieval Danes. Instead, these groups exhibited calcaneonavicular coalition as the most common type in the hindfoot (2.0% and 2.1% respectively), while calcaneonavicular coalition was among the least common in the South Africans (0.2%).

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of tarsal coalition and frequency estimates from skeletal samples

Case

Burnett

2010

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Complex skeletal foot malformation in a Samnite “warrior grave” from Abruzzo, southern Italy (8th–5th century BCE)

Luciani

2024

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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This report describes a male skeleton recovered from the Samnite necropolis of Barrea (Abruzzo, 8th–5th century BCE), showing one malformed foot consistent with the diagnosis of unilateral congenital clubfoot associated with tarsal and tarsometatarsal coalitions in the same foot. This finding is particularly noteworthy because tarsal coalitions in congenital equinovarus foot have rarely been reported in medical literature, and to our knowledge, never in the paleopathological record. The recovery of this individual with impaired locomotion from a grave containing a complete array of weapons and armor sheds new light on the occupant's identity and social attitudes toward disabled people in Samnite society. In mortuary archaeology, the correlation between warrior burials and social identity in life of the dead in ancient times is a widely debated issue. Some scholars assert that the weapons in these graves suggest the existence of a warrior class; others propose that the military items of the burial assemblage indicate a high social status or significant power. This study suggests that in Samnite society, physical impairment did not prevent someone from being honored as a warrior or high‐status community member.

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2016

Developmental Juvenile Osteology

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Osseous talocalcaneal coalition in a medieval skeleton (ca. 1050 AD)

Cited by 5 publications

References 27 publications

Identification of tarsal coalition and frequency estimates from skeletal samples

Identification of tarsal coalition and frequency estimates from skeletal samples

Complex skeletal foot malformation in a Samnite “warrior grave” from Abruzzo, southern Italy (8th–5th century BCE)

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