Degenerative joint changes in the appendicular skeleton in Portuguese people from early 20th century

ARRIETA, MA; ANA LUISA SANTOS

Coimbra

Congreso; VI Jornadas Portuguesas de Paleopatología; 2018

Universidade de Coimbra. Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde

Lesions associated with osteoarthritis are commonly recorded in bioarchaeological analyses. While its etiology is not fully understood, age is considered one of the factors that most influences its expression. However, studies in young adults are scarce. This work aims to explore prevalence of degenerative joint changes in individuals between 25-54 years-old, with known sex and occupation. From the Identified Skeletal Collection of Coimbra (Portugal), 78 males and 76 females, with age-at-death grouped in decades were selected. Marginal lipping/osteophytes, porosity, surface osteophytes and eburnation in appendicular joints were recorded according to Zampetti et al. (2016). In both sexes, the joints mostly affected were hand, hip, knee, and foot. A statistically significant increase in the frequency of marginal lipping and surface osteophytes with age (p