Preliminary communication

SUCCESS OF LONG BONE FRACTURE HEALING IN ANCIENT EGYPT: A PALEOEPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE GIZA NECROPOLIS SKELETONS

Moushira Erfan Zaki ; Biological Anthropology department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Complications may provide information regarding the management of fractures in ancient populations. The aim of this study was to determine the rates of long-bone fractures and the proportion of misalignments as indicators of failed treatment or no treatment at all in skeletons from the Giza Necropolis dating to the Old Kingdom period (2700-2190 BC). We visually examined for fractures 2287 long bones of 204 adult skeletons (112 male and 92 female) and took x-rays of fractured bones in standard AP and ML views, so that we can analyse misalignments. Fractures were found in 45 of the 2287 examined long bones (1.97 %). Most of the fractures healed with good alignment, most likely as a result of successful treatment, and only three fractures showed misalignment.

Keywords

History of medicine; Ancient Egypt; paleopathology; fractures

Hrčak ID:

111067

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/111067

Publication date:

15.12.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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