In this paper the osteobiography of an elderly woman recovered from a cemetery tomb where she was buried in 1850, affected by hip fracture and osteoporosis, is described. The overall anthropological characteristics of the individual have... more
In this paper the osteobiography of an elderly woman recovered from a cemetery tomb where she was buried in 1850, affected by hip fracture and osteoporosis, is described. The overall anthropological characteristics of the individual have been investigated. Macroscopic, radiographic, tomographic, microscopic, and chemical and structural examinations have been performed to give a detailed account of the condition of the skeleton. A non-union pertrochanteric fracture not surgically treated and probably due to senile osteoporosis was diagnosed. The consequences of the fracture to the bones show that this individual likely survived several years following the injury. The osseous features we describe (remodelled bone at the fracture site, asymmetry of entheseal changes likely related to the particular walking pattern of the individual) may be useful in personal identification of skeletons of legal interest. Regarding the recognition of osteoporosis in unearthed skeletons, our study underl...
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The purpose of this study is to report and interpret a feature on the anterolateral surface of the proximal femurs of the Krapina hominid collection that we briefly described in 2006 (Periodicum Biologorum, 108, 319-329). We recorded the... more
The purpose of this study is to report and interpret a feature on the anterolateral surface of the proximal femurs of the Krapina hominid collection that we briefly described in 2006 (Periodicum Biologorum, 108, 319-329). We recorded the presence or absence of the feature in all the proximal femurs of the Krapina collection (six specimens recordable) and in 622 modern human adult femurs. The feature consists in a series of crests delimitating three raised or depressed areas. This feature has been found in three out of four adult Neandertal femurs observable. The two observable subadult Neandertal femurs do not show this character. None of the modern femurs displayed the feature. We interpret this feature as a muscular imprint, probably representing the m. vastus intermedius origin and discuss a possible interpretation. We did not find any other references for such imprint in the existing literature regarding the Neandertal femurs.
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This article reports on inter- and intra-observer reliability testing of the Coimbra method for fibrocartilaginous entheseal changes and discusses the results in the context of reliability for other qualitative methods that score skeletal... more
This article reports on inter- and intra-observer reliability testing of the Coimbra method for fibrocartilaginous entheseal changes and discusses the results in the context of reliability for other qualitative methods that score skeletal variation. Four tests of interobserver and one test of intraobserver reliability were conducted. Three of the interobserver tests were conducted in person (Geneva, Coimbra A, Coimbra B) and one was conducted on-line. Before each test, the observers trained together and refinements were made to the method. Inter- and intra-observer reliability was assessed using percentage agreement, kappa scores, and Krippendorff’s alpha. On-line testing had the lowest reliability (60% agreement, κ = 0.292, α = 0.369). Final reliability results in the Coimbra B test increased from the initial Geneva test (68.6 to 80.0% agreement, κ = 0.522 to 0.589, α = 0.604 to 0.666). Factors such as training, observation conditions, visual acuity, and differences in interpretation of scoring criteria impact reliability. Suggestions are made to address the general problem of reliability in qualitative methods.
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ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT
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Abstract Analysis of the skeleton from tomb 144 of the early medieval necropolis of Vicenne-Campochiaro in Central Italy revealed several features indicative of leprosy. The skeleton belongs to a male estimated to be between 20 and 25... more
Abstract Analysis of the skeleton from tomb 144 of the early medieval necropolis of Vicenne-Campochiaro in Central Italy revealed several features indicative of leprosy. The skeleton belongs to a male estimated to be between 20 and 25 years of age at death. The distal ...
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... According to Manchester (2002), osteomyelitis with intramedullary abscess and cloaca formation is due to ... Figure 6. Right calcaneus showing enthesopathies at the insertion sites of the interosseous ... showing the beginning of... more
... According to Manchester (2002), osteomyelitis with intramedullary abscess and cloaca formation is due to ... Figure 6. Right calcaneus showing enthesopathies at the insertion sites of the interosseous ... showing the beginning of resorption on its distal end and enthesopathy at the ...
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The Coimbra Method records qualitative changes at fibrocartilaginous entheses using specific features scored separately at the margin and on the entheseal surface. These features include porosity (fine and macro), bone formation, erosion,... more
The Coimbra Method records qualitative changes at fibrocartilaginous entheses using specific features scored separately at the margin and on the entheseal surface. These features include porosity (fine and macro), bone formation, erosion, and cavitations. Initial tests of interobserver error in 2010 showed overall percentage agreements around 70%, but agreement on specific features such as bone formation and fine porosity were lower (52.5% - 61.9%), and the variability between observer pairs was high (65.3-78.1%). On-line consultations between the international collaborators to refine feature definition with the aim of decreasing interobserver error rates had limited success. Percentage agreement between four observers eventually improved to 85.8% and 77.9% for the subscapularis and common extensor origin, but only after intensive in-person collaboration and discussion. Difficulties included: 1) poor representation of features using photographs for training; 2) lack of a common unde...
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ABSTRACT
Research Interests: Archaeology, Geology, Biological Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, Osteoarchaeology, and 9 moreMusculoskeletal Stress Markers (MSM), Coimbra (Portugal), Enthesopathies, Entheseal Changes, Activity-related skeletal morphologies, Entheses, Identified Skeletal Collection, Fibrocartilaginous Entheses, and Enthesophytes
Scoring entheseal changes: proposal of a new standardised method for fibrocartilaginous entheses. Poster presented at the 18th European Meeting of the Paleopathology Association, Vienna, Austria 23rd–26th of August 2010. Consulted in 12th October 2010. Available from: https://www.uc.pt/en/cia/msm...more
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Entheses are always visible on the bone, although with variable forms and degrees of expression. The term "robusticity" indicates the "normal" osseous markings at entheses, while "enthesopathy", indicates the... more
Entheses are always visible on the bone, although with variable forms and degrees of expression. The term "robusticity" indicates the "normal" osseous markings at entheses, while "enthesopathy", indicates the presence of enthesophytes or osteolytic areas. A scoring method for enthesopathy development has already been proposed. In this paper, a standardised descriptive and photographic scoring method is proposed for the robusticity of 23 postcranial skeleton entheses. For each enthesis, 3 levels of development are described, corresponding, in general, to a weak-moderate expression (degree 1), strong development (degree 2) and very strong development (degree 3). The interobserver error of about 20% seems acceptable given the great morphological variability of these traits.
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Enthesopathies are alterations that could be present at entheses. Two types of enthesopathies have been defined: osteophytic (OF) and osteolytic (OL). In the present paper, we propose a standardized method to score the degree of... more
Enthesopathies are alterations that could be present at entheses. Two types of enthesopathies have been defined: osteophytic (OF) and osteolytic (OL). In the present paper, we propose a standardized method to score the degree of development of each form of enthesopathy. With this method, the intra- and interobserver errors are less than 50%. The standard was used to study a sample (113 individuals) deriving from osteological collections from the late XIX-early XX century. Information about the age, sex and occupation of the individuals is available. This study demonstrated an effect of age on the form and the degree of development of enthesopathies. The influence of factors related to sex and occupation cannot be excluded. Therefore, functional interpretations of data on enthesopathies in osteoarchaeological series must take account of the estimated age and sex of the specimens and the distribution of the lesions within a single skeleton.
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... Correspondence: Maria Giovanna Belcastro Laboratory of Bioarchaeology and Forensic Osteology – Anthropology Department of Experimental Evolutionary Biology ... rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, medialis, lateralis) inserted by a... more
... Correspondence: Maria Giovanna Belcastro Laboratory of Bioarchaeology and Forensic Osteology – Anthropology Department of Experimental Evolutionary Biology ... rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, medialis, lateralis) inserted by a single tendon on the patella and continuing ...