Spinal degenerative lesions and spinal ligamentous ossifications in ancient Chinese populations of the Yellow River Civilization

Bibliographic Data

ID12371533
AuthorsSinsuke Hukuda (Shiga University of Medical Science, corresponding author), Koji Inoue (0000-0001-9817-150X, Shiga University of Medical Science), Toshio Ushiyama (Shiga University of Medical Science), Yasuo Saruhashi (Shiga University of Medical Science), Atushi Iwasaki (Shiga University of Medical Science), Jie Huang (0009-0007-4279-2914, Shiga University of Medical Science), Akira Mayeda (Yukioka Hospital), Masashi Nakai (0000-0002-1219-9307, Kyoto University), Fang Xiang Li, Yang Zhao (0000-0003-4913-8505, Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology), Zhao Qing Yang
Year2000
Volume10
Issue2
Pages108-124
Publication date2000-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/(sici)1099-1212(200003/04)10:2<108::aid-oa514>3.0.co;2-5
OpenAlexW2043097165
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited21

Rheumatological diseases, whether inflammatory or degenerative, are ubiquitous among modern Asian people but very few palaeopathological studies have been performed in Asia on this subject. Since 1996, we have been carrying out a palaeoepidemiological survey of rheumatic diseases in ancient Chinese and Japanese skeletal populations. Findings on the spinal column in ancient Chinese populations (ca. 5000 bc–ad 1644) in Henan Province (centre of the Yellow River Civilization) are reported in this study. The examined number of the people over 20 years old was 365 (185 males, 169 females and 11 unsexed). Of these, 248 were young adults, 98 were middle adults and 19 were old adults. Crude prevalence (number/100) in total population of vertebral osteophytosis/facet osteoarthritis was 17.5/7.7, 17/3.7 and 44.6/21.1 at the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, respectively. That of ossified anterior longitudinal ligament (OALL) or Forestier's disease was around 3 at each of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) of the cervical spine was observed in five out of 114 skeletons with cervical spine preserved, while it did not exist in any thoracic and lumbar segment. Ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) was predominantly observed in the thoracic spine, the crude prevalence of which was 36.7. Overall spinal degenerative lesions seemed to have been more prevalent and spinal ligament ossifications less prevalent in ancient Chinese populations than in modern people. None of the inflammatory lesions like rheumatoid spondylitis, as well as seronegative spondyloarthropathies, were detected. This is the first palaeopathological study in which the prevalence of OPLL and OLF, the two clinically important spinal ligamentous ossifications causing myelopathy in modern mankind, was surveyed in ancient skeletons. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Ankylosing spondylitis · Anterior longitudinal ligament · Central nervous system disease · Degenerative disease · Ligament · Lumbar · Myelopathy · Ossification · Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament · Population · Spinal cord · Spondylitis · Cervical and Thoracic Myelopathy · Medicine · Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology · Spondyloarthritis Studies and Treatments · Anatomy · Surgery