Tracy Prowse
Address: Dept. of Anthropology
Chester New Hall, Room 514
McMaster University
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON L8S 4L9
Chester New Hall, Room 514
McMaster University
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON L8S 4L9
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Papers by Tracy Prowse
Rebecca J.Gilmour, Megan B.Brickley, ErikJurriaans, Tracy L.Prowse
Objective
This study uses biomechanical data from tibiae to investigate the functional consequences of lower limb fractures. Adults with malunited fractures are hypothesized to have experienced altered mobility, indicated by asymmetric tibial cross-sectional geometries (CSG).
Materials
Ninety-three adults from Roman (1st to 4th centuries CE) Ancaster, UK and Vagnari, Italy (Ancaster n = 16 adults with lower limb fracture:53 without fracture; Vagnari n = 5:19)
Methods
Biplanar radiographs were used to quantify and compare tibial CSG properties and asymmetries between individuals with and without fractures to femora, tibiae, and/or fibulae. The amount of angulation, rotation, and overlap, indicative of linear deformity, were measured for each fracture. Individuals who loaded their fractured leg differently than their opposite, uninjured leg were identified using outlying amounts of CSG asymmetry.
Results
Two Ancaster individuals had poorly aligned fractures. None of the Ancaster or Vagnari individuals with lower limb fractures had CSG properties or asymmetries outside the calculated normal ranges.
Conclusions
Regardless of how a fracture healed, individuals at Ancaster and Vagnari generally resumed mobility after trauma whenever possible.
Significance
This research contributes information about injury recovery and suggests that resilient behaviors and persistent mobility may have been valued or required responses to fracture in the study communities. This work advises that impairment should not be inferred based solely on the appearance of lesions.
Limitations
Site, sex, and age patterns in injury recovery are not evaluated due to sample size limitations.
Suggestions for further research
Biomechanical assessments of post-traumatic function in varied cultural contexts are advised in order to further characterize the impact that physical and social factors have on injury recovery.
Plasmodium falciparum is a significant human pathogen, particularly in the historical context of the ancient Mediterranean region. The causative species of malaria are “invisible” in the historical record, while malaria as a disease entity is indirectly supported by evidence from literary works (e.g., the Hippocratic Corpus, Celsus’ De Medicina) and non-specific skeletal pathological responses. Although ancient DNA may demonstrate the presence of a pathogen, there remain theoretical and methodological challenges in contextualizing such molecular evidence.
Here we present a framework to explore the biosocial context of malaria in 1st–4th c. CE central-southern Italy using genomic, literary, epidemiological, and archaeological evidence to highlight relationships between the Plasmodium parasite, human hosts, Anopheles vector, and environment. By systematically integrating these evidentiary sources, our approach highlights the importance of disease ecology (e.g., climate and landscape) and human-environment interactions (e.g., land use patterns, such as agriculture or infrastructure activities) that differentially impact the potential scope of malaria in the past.
Stable isotope analysis of 18O isotope abundance in long surviving biogenic tissues of plants or animals is a well-recognised and accepted method for establishing proxies or indicators for environmental change,[1-5] palaeoecological studies[6-14] or geographic provenance.[15-21] In recent years, the 18O isotope abundance analysis of bio-apatite in bone or tooth enamel of modern human remains has also been used for determining geographic provenance and geographic life trajectories in a forensic context.[22-24] With the advent of instruments capable of on-line or continuous-flow 2H stable isotope analysis, methodologies and applications for the 2H analysis of bone collagen, human hair, and nails have been reported to determine geographic origin of ancient and modern man.[25-28]
Given the widely acknowledged resilience of tooth enamel to diagenetic changes,[13] we wondered if it would be possible to gain useful information from the 2H isotopic record locked into the hydroxyl groups of tooth enamel although studies of the 2H isotopic abundance in tooth enamel appear to be nonexistent in the scientific literature. The apparent lack of published research in this area might be for the following reasons:
(I)
Compared with the mineral calcium hydroxylapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, carbonate ions in bio-apatite such as tooth enamel replace hydroxyl ions and even phosphate ions,[29, 30] yet only approximate weight percentage figures for the degree of carbonate incorporation have been published.[31] For this reason bio-apatite is more accurately described chemically as carbonate-rich, hydroxyl-deficient apatite.[29] As the degree of carbonate substitution in tooth enamel is not precisely known, it could be suspected that the prospective yield of H2 could be too small to be reliably measured.
(II)
Due to the theoretical possibility of hydrogen exchange in bio-apatite, potentially measurable δ2H-values may not convey any meaningful information. However, in comparison with the pKa-values at 25°C of 14 or 15.5 for the dissociation of water (H2O <−> OH- + H+) or of ethanol into ethoxide and a proton (C2H5OH/C2H5O- + H+), respectively, the pKa-value for the dissociation of OH- to yield O2- + H+ is 24, thus making the hydroxyl ion 108.5 times weaker a proton donor than ethanol, or 1010 times less likely to dissociate and, hence, less susceptible to H exchange than water.
Based on our search of the available literature no published protocols exist for sample preparation and analytical methods to obtain δ2H-values from the hydroxyl fraction of tooth enamel through isotope ratio mass spectrometric analysis.
In this paper we present results of a proof-of-concept study that aimed to establish the feasibility of measuring the 2H stable isotope composition of ground tooth enamel by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF-IRMS) coupled on-line to a high-temperature conversion elemental analyser (TC/EA) and assess the usefulness of enamel δ2H values as an archaeological or forensic proxy for a person's geographic origin during late childhood when late erupting molars are being formed.""
Rebecca J.Gilmour, Megan B.Brickley, ErikJurriaans, Tracy L.Prowse
Objective
This study uses biomechanical data from tibiae to investigate the functional consequences of lower limb fractures. Adults with malunited fractures are hypothesized to have experienced altered mobility, indicated by asymmetric tibial cross-sectional geometries (CSG).
Materials
Ninety-three adults from Roman (1st to 4th centuries CE) Ancaster, UK and Vagnari, Italy (Ancaster n = 16 adults with lower limb fracture:53 without fracture; Vagnari n = 5:19)
Methods
Biplanar radiographs were used to quantify and compare tibial CSG properties and asymmetries between individuals with and without fractures to femora, tibiae, and/or fibulae. The amount of angulation, rotation, and overlap, indicative of linear deformity, were measured for each fracture. Individuals who loaded their fractured leg differently than their opposite, uninjured leg were identified using outlying amounts of CSG asymmetry.
Results
Two Ancaster individuals had poorly aligned fractures. None of the Ancaster or Vagnari individuals with lower limb fractures had CSG properties or asymmetries outside the calculated normal ranges.
Conclusions
Regardless of how a fracture healed, individuals at Ancaster and Vagnari generally resumed mobility after trauma whenever possible.
Significance
This research contributes information about injury recovery and suggests that resilient behaviors and persistent mobility may have been valued or required responses to fracture in the study communities. This work advises that impairment should not be inferred based solely on the appearance of lesions.
Limitations
Site, sex, and age patterns in injury recovery are not evaluated due to sample size limitations.
Suggestions for further research
Biomechanical assessments of post-traumatic function in varied cultural contexts are advised in order to further characterize the impact that physical and social factors have on injury recovery.
Plasmodium falciparum is a significant human pathogen, particularly in the historical context of the ancient Mediterranean region. The causative species of malaria are “invisible” in the historical record, while malaria as a disease entity is indirectly supported by evidence from literary works (e.g., the Hippocratic Corpus, Celsus’ De Medicina) and non-specific skeletal pathological responses. Although ancient DNA may demonstrate the presence of a pathogen, there remain theoretical and methodological challenges in contextualizing such molecular evidence.
Here we present a framework to explore the biosocial context of malaria in 1st–4th c. CE central-southern Italy using genomic, literary, epidemiological, and archaeological evidence to highlight relationships between the Plasmodium parasite, human hosts, Anopheles vector, and environment. By systematically integrating these evidentiary sources, our approach highlights the importance of disease ecology (e.g., climate and landscape) and human-environment interactions (e.g., land use patterns, such as agriculture or infrastructure activities) that differentially impact the potential scope of malaria in the past.
Stable isotope analysis of 18O isotope abundance in long surviving biogenic tissues of plants or animals is a well-recognised and accepted method for establishing proxies or indicators for environmental change,[1-5] palaeoecological studies[6-14] or geographic provenance.[15-21] In recent years, the 18O isotope abundance analysis of bio-apatite in bone or tooth enamel of modern human remains has also been used for determining geographic provenance and geographic life trajectories in a forensic context.[22-24] With the advent of instruments capable of on-line or continuous-flow 2H stable isotope analysis, methodologies and applications for the 2H analysis of bone collagen, human hair, and nails have been reported to determine geographic origin of ancient and modern man.[25-28]
Given the widely acknowledged resilience of tooth enamel to diagenetic changes,[13] we wondered if it would be possible to gain useful information from the 2H isotopic record locked into the hydroxyl groups of tooth enamel although studies of the 2H isotopic abundance in tooth enamel appear to be nonexistent in the scientific literature. The apparent lack of published research in this area might be for the following reasons:
(I)
Compared with the mineral calcium hydroxylapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, carbonate ions in bio-apatite such as tooth enamel replace hydroxyl ions and even phosphate ions,[29, 30] yet only approximate weight percentage figures for the degree of carbonate incorporation have been published.[31] For this reason bio-apatite is more accurately described chemically as carbonate-rich, hydroxyl-deficient apatite.[29] As the degree of carbonate substitution in tooth enamel is not precisely known, it could be suspected that the prospective yield of H2 could be too small to be reliably measured.
(II)
Due to the theoretical possibility of hydrogen exchange in bio-apatite, potentially measurable δ2H-values may not convey any meaningful information. However, in comparison with the pKa-values at 25°C of 14 or 15.5 for the dissociation of water (H2O <−> OH- + H+) or of ethanol into ethoxide and a proton (C2H5OH/C2H5O- + H+), respectively, the pKa-value for the dissociation of OH- to yield O2- + H+ is 24, thus making the hydroxyl ion 108.5 times weaker a proton donor than ethanol, or 1010 times less likely to dissociate and, hence, less susceptible to H exchange than water.
Based on our search of the available literature no published protocols exist for sample preparation and analytical methods to obtain δ2H-values from the hydroxyl fraction of tooth enamel through isotope ratio mass spectrometric analysis.
In this paper we present results of a proof-of-concept study that aimed to establish the feasibility of measuring the 2H stable isotope composition of ground tooth enamel by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF-IRMS) coupled on-line to a high-temperature conversion elemental analyser (TC/EA) and assess the usefulness of enamel δ2H values as an archaeological or forensic proxy for a person's geographic origin during late childhood when late erupting molars are being formed.""
Males at Vagnari exhibited tibial areas that were larger than other reported tibial cross-sections, indicating that they engaged in relatively intense physical mobility from younger ages. Fractures were identified in females (n=3/28, 10.7%) and males (n=8/29, 27.6%); Vagnari males had fracture prevalence rates that were greater than at other Roman sites. In particular, indirect fractures consistent with slips, trips, falls, jumps, and overuse were common among Vagnari males (n=5/29, 17.2%). Leg bone fractures were especially noteworthy, and included a tibial stress fracture usually caused by repetitive strain. Vagnari females did not exhibit similar biomechanical and fracture patterns; they had no indirect fracture types and their tibial areas were similar to other sites.
The trends observed in the human remains from Vagnari suggest that males and females experienced physical mobility and ambulatory accidents differently. Vagnari males were evidently more intensely mobile and likely encountered greater fracture hazards associated with movement than the females. Shepherding, typically a male undertaking in the Roman world, is thought to have been important at Vagnari and may provide one possible explanation for the biomechanical and fracture evidence present among the males in this assemblage.
Biomechanical studies investigate the adaptation of bone shapes and sizes to different mechanical loading environments. In particular, investigations of lower limb bone (tibia) cross-sectional areas provide evidence for physical strains associated with the intensity and type of physical mobility. Males at Vagnari exhibited tibial areas that were larger than other reported tibial cross-sections, indicating that from younger ages, the males at Vagnari engaged in relatively more intense physical mobility than elsewhere in the Roman world. This study also found that, compared to other Roman sites, Vagnari males had greater prevalence rates of indirect fractures. Indirect fractures are breaks to bone that occur at a location other than the place of impact; these types of injuries are often produced by slips, trips, falls, jumps, as well as due to overuse. Indirect fractures to the Vagnari leg bones were especially noteworthy, and included an example of a tibial stress fracture usually caused by repetitive strain and overuse. Vagnari females did not exhibit similar biomechanical and fracture patterns; they had no indirect fracture types and their tibial areas were similar to other sites.
The trends observed in the human remains from Vagnari suggest that males and females experienced physical mobility and ambulatory accidents differently. Vagnari males were evidently more intensely mobile and likely encountered greater fracture hazards associated with movement than the females at this site. Transhumance and shepherding, typically a male occupation in the Roman world, is thought to have been important at Vagnari and may provide one possible explanation for the biomechanical and fracture evidence present among the males in this assemblage.
Long bone fractures in Roman period adults from Ancaster, U.K. (n=100) and Vagnari, Italy (n=40) were radiographed, then the bone areas and asymmetries were calculated and compared to a representative sample of individuals without fractures. Extremity fractures were identified among individuals at Ancaster (n=39) and Vagnari (n=12), but only two Ancaster individuals had fractured limbs with evidence of possible disuse (i.e., with smaller, outlying bone areas and asymmetries). Fracture location, force types, amounts of malunion, osteoarthritis, and infection were not predictive of bone loss explainable by disuse.
Incorporating biomechanical methods in palaeopathological analyses of fractures contributes to an understanding of long-term trauma consequences by helping to recognize patterns in bone areas and asymmetries indicative of impairment and adaptation The results of this study make it clear that fracture types, locations, malunion, and secondary complications do not necessarily predict poor functional outcomes and impairment; fractures that look ‘severe’ may not result in disuse, and vice versa. Caution should be used when inferring the effect that fractures, and perhaps other pathological conditions, have on an individual’s physical experience, as evidently not all morphologically remarkable lesions result in long-term functional consequences.
This paper presents a digital X-ray radiogrammetry approach, adapted from the clinical literature, which calculates the amount of MC2 diaphyseal cortical bone within a 19-millimeter square region of interest (ROI). Antero-posterior radiographs of MC2s from 1st-4th century Roman sites in the UK (Ancaster) (n=48) and Italy (Vagnari) (n=8) were used to test this method. Results show that a standardized ROI (19mm) can be reliably used to measure cortical area at the narrowest part of the MC2 diaphysis. A strong correlation in cortical area is present between the standardized ROIs and those scaled to the bone’s length (r=0.955, p<0.000). Compared to traditional cortical indices, ROIs appear to more clearly identify age-related deviations from peak bone mass.
The ROI method is an easily applied, reliable alternative to measuring and relatively assessing cortical bone in damaged archaeological remains. Including incomplete MC2s will better characterize the range of cortical bone present in archaeological collections. The findings indicate that the ROI method has potential to contribute widely to the palaeopathological observation of the prevalence and patterns in past bone loss.
(Winner of the Cockburn Student Prize for best poster presentation at the 43rd Annual North American PPA Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia)