Inflammatory periosteal reaction on ribs associated with lower respiratory tract disease

A method for recording prevalence from sites with differing preservation

Bibliographic Data

ID8317834
AuthorsAnna M Davies‐barrett (0000-0002-1555-1468, Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan The British Museum London United Kingdom, corresponding author), Daniel Antoine (0000-0002-7262-8812, Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan The British Museum London United Kingdom), Charlotte A Roberts (0000-0002-2259-807X, Department of Archaeology Durham University Durham United Kingdom)
Year2019
Volume168
Issue3
Pages530-542
Publication date2019-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.23769
PMID30613938
OpenAlexW2909982559
LanguageEN
Citations received20
References cited48

OBJECTIVES: Inflammatory periosteal reaction (IPR) on the visceral surfaces of the ribs has been used in bioarchaeology as an indicator of lower respiratory tract disease. This article presents a detailed method for recording IPR on the ribs, even those in severely fragmented states, with the objectives of increasing the consistency of recording and producing true prevalence rates for skeletons so as to improve data comparability between future bioarchaeological studies of lower respiratory tract disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The presence and prevalence of respiratory-related IPR were recorded from three different Sudanese cemetery sites using a detailed method for identifying and recording IPR. Sites with variable preservation were chosen to test the applicability of the method. A flowchart to aid in identification of bony changes is presented. The method requires the recording of IPR on three separate sections of the rib (neck, angle, and shaft) and the allocation of ribs into rib cage regions of upper, upper-middle, middle, lower-middle, and lower. RESULTS: Results demonstrate differences in the distribution of IPR between sites and verify the method's applicability to archeological sites with various levels of skeletal preservation. DISCUSSION: While crude prevalence rates can indicate the number of individuals experiencing lower respiratory tract disease within a site, this method can provide information about the distribution of IPR within the rib cage. This should lead to new ways of distinguishing respiratory diseases within archeological populations. This method also allows for comparability between well-preserved and lesser-preserved sites by accommodating for rib fragmentation

Biology · Pathology · Respiratory system · Respiratory tract · Rib cage · Anatomy · Autopsy Techniques and Outcomes · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Medicine · Osteomyelitis and Bone Disorders Research