Massive tarsal ankylosis in a prehistoric skeleton

Pathological variations in mummified feet between two near‐distance/long‐time populations in Ancient Egypt

“…It is remarkable that there is an almost complete absence of traumatic injuries (only 1 fracture in the neck of a second metatarsal bone - healed with a deviation of 30°) in both necropolises, a condition that could be related to walking barefoot [ 15 ]. It is also uncommon to find, in archaeological remains, 2 cases (1 in each necropolis) of tarsal coalition [ 16 ] although the lack of in-depth analysis, with radiological techniques for instance, means that we cannot rule out an ankylosing condition of non-congenital aetiology. The equine foot from Q2 is not the result of any post-mortem deformity, although it used to be a frequent condition in many mummified feet due either to muscular imbalance during the preservation process, or to external forces from bandaging and the sarcophagus [ 17 ].…”

Primary or Secondary Synostosis: The Culmination of the Spondyloarthritis Form of Erosive Arthritis?

“…Maharaj and Chandran 1 suggested the publication of the first documented case of synostosis in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a form of spondyloarthropathy (SpA). However, synostoses are well represented in the SpA record 2,3,4 , and perhaps even facilitate consideration and recognition of the underlying pathology 5,6 . Fusion of proximal radioulnar and tibiofibular joints are not only documented in current patients with SpA 7 , but have been documented in SpA-afflicted individuals in the archeologic and paleontologic record 3,4,8 .…”

Osseous talocalcaneal coalition in a medieval skeleton (ca. 1050 AD)

“…Since then only very few anatomical specimens have been described (Rühli et al , 2003; Solomon et al , 2003) including a talocalcaneal (TCC) bridging in an Anglo‐Saxon (Calder & Calder, 1977) post‐traumatic coalitions in early and prehistoric times (Wells, 1976) and in a pre‐Columbian Indian skeleton dating from 1000 AD (Heiple & Lovejoy, 1969). Isidro et al 2000 described a massive tarsal coalition in a prehistoric skeleton from the Iron Age in Majorca and Neves et al 2005 also described a TC in a medieval skeleton from Portugal, involving most of the tarsal bones.…”