Vertebral arthritis and physical activities in the prehistoric Southeastern United States

Abstract

Vertebral arthritis is examined in a prehistoric Native American sample from northwestern Alabama. Both osteophytosis (OP) of the vertebral bodies and osteoarthritis (OA) of the apophyseal facets are highest in the lumbar vertebrae, followed by the cervical and thoracic segments, although differences are much more striking in OP. OA is bilaterally asymmetric, with greater prevalence on the right side in the upper thoracic region. Much of the patterning seen in arthritis in this and other samples is due to the stresses imposed by spinal curvature and weight-bearing due to our erect posture. In addition, handedness is the probable cause of asymmetry in OA. However, the high levels of cervical OP are unexpected, and may be due to use of the tumpline in carrying burdens.

Degenerative changes of the spine in people from prehistoric Okhotsk culture and two ancient human groups from Kanto and Okinawa, Japan

“…In general, upright bipedal humans exhibit more marked degenerative changes of the spine than other hominoids (Jurmain, 2000). As mentioned above, although human spines tend to be more uniformly affected throughout the vertebral column, previous anthropological investigations revealed that prehistoric and historic human populations vary in terms of the prevalence of degenerative changes of the spine (Bridges, 1994;Moromizato et al, 2007). In addition, there are different patterns between the prevalence of osteophytes on the vertebral body and that of degenerative changes of apophyseal joint (Moromizato et al, 2007).…”

“…Degenerative changes of the lumbar spine were found to be frequent in contemporary and archeological populations, including the Canadian Inuit (Merbs, 1983;Bridges, 1994;Larsen, 1997;Resnick, 2002;and many others). In Japan, the lumbar spine was found to be most affected in the Jomon, Yayoi, early-modern Edo and recent Japanese samples (Wada, 1975;Suzuki, 1978;Fukushima, 1988).…”

“…Because risk factors for degenerative disease of the spine consist of not only age but also selected activities, many physical anthropologists have investigated degenerative changes of the spine from prehistoric and historic human populations in order to reconstruct their life activity (Suzuki, 1978(Suzuki, , 1998Fukushima, 1988;Bridges, 1994;Lovell, 1994;Lieverse et al, 2007;Moromizato et al, 2007;RojasSepúlveda et al, 2008). In general, upright bipedal humans exhibit more marked degenerative changes of the spine than other hominoids (Jurmain, 2000).…”

Using dental and activity indicators in order to explore possible sex differences in an adult rural medieval population from Thebes (Greece)

“…On the contrary, the presence of spinal remodeling in the upper thoracic vertebrae is quite stronger in males, than in females. Load-carrying by tumpline, or on the head, have been associated with a peak in OA in the upper thoracic, the middle and lower thoracic, as well as the mid-cervical and lower lumbar vertebrae (Shore 1935;Steward 1979;Kilgore 1984;Jurmain 1990;Bridges 1994;Lovell 1994). However, a peak in OA specifically in the T1 (1 st ) thoracic vertebra has been associated with the method of carrying creels (Merbs 1983;Miles 1989;Sofaer-Derevenski 2000).…”

Preliminary Observations of Some Paleopathological Conditions in Historic and Modern Human Skeletal Remains from Ishigaki Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

“…As would be expected given that there are no old adults represented, no severe cases of lumbar osteoarthritis are observed in these remains. Further, because severe osteoarthritis in the cervical vertebrae has been reported in other skeletal series (Bridges, 1994), ad ditionalstudy of the skeletal remains from Ishigaki is warranted.…”