Proximal femur fractures among a medieval Christian population of northern Sudan

Prevalence and aetiology

Bibliographic Data

ID12371525
AuthorsJoanna A Ciesielska (0000-0001-8087-3079, Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw Warsaw Poland, corresponding author), Robert J Stark (0000-0003-0330-3907, Department of Anthropology McMaster University Ontario Canada)
Year2020
Volume30
Issue5
Pages642-655
Publication date2020-06-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/oa.2894
OpenAlexW3033436248
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited86

The current paper investigates the prevalence and aetiology of proximal femur fractures in two temporally distinctive groups of medieval Christian Nubia: the monastic community (ca. late 7th to half of 13th c. AD) and a later group of post‐monastic, intrusive interments (ca. 13th c. AD) from Cemetery 2 at Ghazali, northern Sudan. Four cases of proximal femur fractures were identified macroscopically among the skeletal remains of 86 adult individuals and subjected to detailed investigation of underlying aetiology due to the unusual demographic characteristics of the individuals. The proximal femora were subjected to radiographic examination and classification of trauma using the AO/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) system, and the prevalence of fractures was calculated. Among the 77 adult individuals examined from the Monastic Phase of Cemetery 2, three cases of hip fractures were identified, a prevalence of 3.9%, whereas only one was identified among the nine post‐monastic individuals, which accounts for 11.1% of the total sample. All of the recognized fractures belong to the extracapsular type. Analysis of the mechanisms of fracture in the four studied individuals from Ghazali, despite the relatively young age of male individuals, does not exclude osteoporotic background resulting in stress‐induced fragility trauma. Considering the demographic profile of the deceased and observed comorbidities, it is concluded that sustained fractures were the result of high‐impact injuries connected with demanding physical activity in the harsh Bayuda desert environment

Environmental health · Etiology · Femur · Population · Demography · Dentistry · Hip and Femur Fractures · Hip disorders and treatments · Medicine · Internal Medicine · Surgery