Skeletal manifestations of disease experience: Length of illness and porous cranial lesion formation in a contemporary juvenile mortality sample
Dados Bibliográficos
| AUTOR(ES) | |
|---|---|
| AFILIAÇÃO(ÕES) | College of Population Health University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Albuquerque New Mexico USA, a Communication Studies 3251 , Arizona State University West , 4701 W. Thunderbird Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85069, USA E-mail:, Department of Anthropology University of California – Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California USA, Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation University of New Mexico School of Medicine Albuquerque New Mexico USA, Bureau of Business & Economic Research University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico USA |
| ANO | Não informado |
| TIPO | Artigo |
| DOI | 10.1002/ajhb.23896 |
| CITAÇÕES | 7 |
| ADICIONADO EM | 2025-08-18 |
Resumo
ObjectivesPorous lesions of the orbit (cribra orbitalia [CO]) and cranial vault (porotic hyperostosis [PH]) are used as skeletal indicators of childhood stress. Because they are understudied in contemporary populations, their relationship to disease experience is poorly understood. This paper examines the relationship between length of childhood illness and CO/PH formation in a clinically documented sample. 'Turning points,' which identify the window for lesion formation for CO/PH, are defined, implications for hidden heterogeneity in frailty are considered.MethodsData are from 333 (199 males; 134 females) pediatric postmortem computed tomography scans. Individuals died in New Mexico (2011–2019) and are 0.5 to 15.99 years (mean = 7.1). Length of illness was estimated using information from autopsy and field reports. Logistic regression was used to estimate predicted probabilities, odds ratios, and the temporal window for lesion formation.ResultsIllness, single bouts, or cumulative episodes lasting over 1 month is associated with higher odds of CO; individuals who were never sick have lower odds of having PH. This relationship was consistent for fatal and incidental illnesses that did not cause death. The developmental window for CO formation appears to close at 8 years.ConclusionsThose ill for over 1 month are more likely to have CO/PH than those with acute illnesses. Some individuals lived sufficiently long to form CO/PH but died of illness. Others with lesions died of circumstances unrelated to disease. This indicates hidden variation in robusticity even among ill individuals with CO/PH, which is vital in interpreting lesion frequencies in the archeological record.