Abstract

PLISCHUK, Marcos; DESANTOLO, Bárbara; MANCUSO, Rocío García  and  PENA, Victoria. Anterior vertebral arthrosis in a contemporary population (La Plata, Argentina). Rev. Mus. Antropol. [online]. 2023, vol.16, n.1, pp.81-96. ISSN 1852-060X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.31048/1852.4826.v16.n1.38285.

Arthritic changes encompass a variety of degenerative, age-progressive inflammatory and chronic processes. There are very frequent in contemporary populations for which age, sex, genetic predisposition, trauma, obesity, and work/sports activities have been proposed as risk factors. The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of anterior vertebral arthrosis (AVA) in a contemporary urban population and its relationship with the age and sex of the individuals. The sample analyzed was composed of 95 skeletons (45 male, 50 female) belonging to the Lambre Collection (La Plata, Argentina). For the diagnosis of AVA the presence of a) lipping, b) new bone on the joint surface, c) pitting of the joint surface, d) vertical osteophytes greater than 2 mm, and e) eburnation was considered. The results showed 84.21% of individuals affected, without differences between the sexes. Sixty per cent presented AVA in the cervical area, 76.8% in the thoracic area, and 74.7% in the lumbar area. Of those under 50 years of age, 53.85% were affected, a percentage significantly lower than the 93.02% and 100% found in the age ranges 51-70 and over 70, respectively. The severity of the injuries significantly increases with aging. These results confirm the high prevalence of the pathology in our population, the low implication of sex as a risk factor, and the direct relationship between arthritic diseases and the aging process.

Keywords : Arthrosis; Aging; Well-documented collection; Spine; Paleopathology.

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