title: Success of long bone fracture healing in ancient Egypt: a paleoepidemiological study of the Giza Necropolis skeletons.
abstract: Complications may provide information regarding the management of fractures in ancient populations. The aim of this study was to determine the rates of long-bone fractures and the proportion of misalignments as indicators of failed treatment or no treatment at all in skeletons from the Giza Necropolis dating to the Old Kingdom period (2700-2190 BC). We visually examined for fractures 2287 long bones of 204 adult skeletons (112 male and 92 female) and took x-rays of fractured bones in standard AP and ML views, so that we can analyse misalignments. Fractures were found in 45 of the 2287 examined long bones (1.97 %). Most of the fractures healed with good alignment, most likely as a result of successful treatment, and only three fractures showed misalignment.
authors.affiliation: Biological Anthropology Department, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt. moushiraz@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Moushira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erfan Zaki
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000076144:Egypt, Ancient / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history*; D017759:Fractures, Malunited / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010164:Paleopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography