title: The pattern of involvement of appendicular degenerative joint disease.
abstract: Patterns of degenerative joint disease are investigated in the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee joints of the macerated remains of approximately 800 individuals from 20th century American and two prehistoric populations. Age is an important contributory factor in all joints, but its effects are seen most directly in the shoulder and hip. Patterns of right-left involvement also indicate the elbow is the most susceptible area to local factors. Multiple joint involvement is seen more often in females from contemporary populations but more often in males from archeological groups. No significant association is found between degenerative involvement and osteometric measurements, and cause of death is probably only incidentally associated with degenerative disease.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000413:Alaska; D044383:Black People; D001827:Body Height; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005580:Fossils; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000473:pathology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D004930:Inuit; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008923:Missouri; D009516:New Mexico; D010163:Paleontology; D010164:Paleopathology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000473:pathology; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American