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X-ray pictures of spondylosis deformans in thoracic and lumbar part of the vertebral column from modern dog, arrows indicate the new bone formations (lateral projection).
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A mostly complete canine skeleton was excavated during rescue archaeological explorations in Domaslaw (Lower Silesia, Poland). The archaeozoological analysis revealed loss of several left maxillary incisors. Discospondylitis was observed in two adjacent lumbar vertebrae. Potential causes of the vertebral pathology are discussed. The cause of death...
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Context 1
... lost following inflammation or injury, leading to bone remodeling with visible macroscopic transformations. Limited signs of a reac- tive process are observed in the wall of left maxillary molar alveolus (loss of M 1 ) and an exposed root and furcation of the right maxillary molar (M 1 ; 109 in modified Triadan system) (Fig. 4). The accessory buccal root of M 1 was found in the maxillary arch and was accompanied by an accessory canal within the maxillary alveolar process. Fig. 4c shows some bone loss near alveolar margins that may be partly pre-mortem, but this could be consistent with a degree of periodontal disease, especially given the staining of the roots that is visible. Moreover, Fig. 3 shows perialveolar small encircling rims that are consistent with mild-moderate bilateral periodontal disease. Spinal fusion unites the vertebral bodies, vertebral arches, and transverse processes of two adjacent lumbar vertebrae (L 2 and L 3 ). Cranial and caudal articular processes are also affected. The ventral longitudinal ligament (VLL) is calcified along the ventral vertebral margins. The left intervertebral foramen is normal size, but the right foramen is stenotic because of new bone formation (Figs. 5 and 6). No osteophytes are present within the vertebral canal lumen, but new bone is present along the ventral vertebral surfaces. The border between vertebral bone and new ossifications is indistinct, typical of vertebral body repair (Fig. 7). New bone also is present within the intervertebral space, suggesting chronic inflammation with sub- sequent mineralization and ossification of the intervertebral disk and VLL. The spinal pathology was compared to similar modern vertebral column specimens with known disease (Figs. 8 and 9). There is no evidence of a traumatic or violent death; no butchery or cutting marks were identified in the cranial and postcranial skeleton. This excludes cynophagia or other invasive procedures as contributors to death (Chrószcz et al., 2013). Spinal disease is a difficult problem in veterinary medicine due to multifactorial etiology, lack of clinical signs in some cases, diverse clinical signs in others, and variable consequences. Spondylosis is the most common degenerative spinal disease in dogs, but the term is nonspecific. Spondylosis can be described more specif- ically as spondylosis deformans, a non-inflammatory degenerative disease (Carnier et al., 2004). Both genetic (chondrodystrophic and non-chondrodystrophic breeds) and non-hereditary etiological factors should be considered. Discospondylitis is characterized by severe spinal pathology that has an infectious etiology. The literature suggests the bacterial and fungal causes are most probable (Adamo and Cherubini, 2001; Burkert et al., 2005; Seim, 2007; Slatter, 2003). The actual incidence of discospondylitis in dogs has not been reported in paleopatholog- ical investigations, to our knowledge. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is another disease that is characterized in part by spinal pathology, but it is rare in dogs. It is a systemic pathology of the axial and appendicular skeleton (Forestier and Rotes-Querol, 1950; Ciepluch et al., 2013). DISH causes calcification of the dorsal and ventral longitudinal spinal ligaments that can spread to adjacent structures such as the vertebral musculotendinous attachments and the vertebral articular capsules. The canine vertebral column is composed of seven cervical, thir- teen thoracic, seven lumbar, three (fused) sacral, and a variable number of coccygeal vertebrae, although the number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae also may vary from the standard anatomic formula (König and Liebich, 2007; Thrall, 2012). The intervertebral disk structure is homologous to other mammals, including humans (Konig and Liebich, 2007). The ventral longitudinal (VLL) and dorsal longitudinal (DLL) ligaments are located at the ventral and dorsal vertebral body margins ( corpus vertebrae ), respec- tively. The vertebrae and intervertebral disks form a functional unit, together with the spinal, abdominal, and thoracic muscles, playing an important role in spinal and body biomechanics. The cervical and lumbar regions have the greatest mobility in the vertebral column. Lumbar mobility is critical for carnivores, and dysfunction can cause severe disease that significantly influences the quality of life, utilization potential, and the human–animal relationship. Spondylosis is the most frequent canine spinal disease (Fig. 8), but the term is nonspecific and is used to characterize various pathologies. Perhaps described more properly, spondylosis deformans is a degenerative process targeting the annulus fibrous and characterized by vertebral body osteophytes arising at the cranial and caudal margins (Fardon and Milette, 2014; Carnier et al., 2004; Levine et al., 2006; Bergknut et al., 2012). Ossification builds mul- tiple bony bridges within the intervertebral space that are visible radiographically (Fig. 9). The new bone associated with spondylosis deformans does not extend into the vertebral canal and rarely invades the intervertebral foramina in domestic dogs (Ortega et al., 2012). Spondylosis deformans is categorized into four radiographic types (Wright, 1982). Vertebral body endplate osteophytes occur in the 1st type, and new bone tissue formations are found in the 2nd–4th types. The spurs of the 3rd type are similar to the 1st and 2nd types, but changes usually are much more extensive in the third type. The spurs in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd types have a border base of origin at the vertebral body. The 4th type is different because it is a continuous band-like formation of new bone (Wright, 1982). Such pathologies frequently are diagnosed without other degenerative changes (Van der Kraan and van der Berg, 2007), although severe osteophytes, described as spondylotic changes, may accompanied by Hansen type-II degenerative disk disease (Levine et al., 2006). Type 4 spondylosis deformans is similar to DISH (see below) in humans in some studies (Kranenburg et al., 2011, 2012). Langeland and Lingaas (1995) and Carnier et al. (2004) intro- duced another spondylosis classification in dogs, which divides the disease into three categories, associated with the degree of ostheophyte growth. The 1st class includes bony spurs that do not protrude beyond the caudal/cranial extremity of the vertebral body. In the 2nd class, the bone formations extend beyond the caudal/cranial extremity of the vertebral body. The 3rd class includes bone tissue growth that forms bridges between two neighboring vertebrae (Langeland and Lingaas, 1995; Carnier et al., 2004). The caudal thoracic and cranial lumbar vertebrae are affected most frequently (Morgan et al., 1967; Wright, 1982; Carnier et al., 2004). The prevalence of canine spondylosis deformans increases with age, and there is a hereditary component, shown previously in Boxers (Morgan et al., 1967; Carnier et al., 2004; Langeland and Lingaas, 1995). Canine DISH is reported rarely in veterinary literature (Morgan and Stavenborn, 1991; Greatting et al., 2011; Ortega et al., 2012; Ciepluch et al., 2013). In this disease, new bone forms along the ventral longitudinal ligament on the ventral vertebral body surface, which usually results in a continuous bone tissue segment ventral to the vertebral column. It is presumed that spinal fusion prevents the affected disk from degenerating, but disk degeneration occurs at adjacent, unfused intervertebral disk spaces (Ortega et al., 2012). Thus, the adjacent vertebral segments should be assessed when spondylosis or DISH is suspected. In our present evaluation, intervertebral disk degeneration played a significant role in the disease process. Although canine disk degeneration can occur in any breed or mixed-breed, two breed groupings exist (Bergknut et al., 2013). In chondrodystrophic (CD) breeds, the intervertebral disk degenerates usually between 3 and 7 years of age and typically targets the cervical or thoracolumbar spine (Hansen, 1952; Olby et al., 2004; Brisson, 2010). By contrast, in non-chondrodystrophic (NCD) breeds, the condi- tion occurs mainly in older animals and targets the caudal cervical or lumbosacral spine, although the thoracolumbar spine also can be affected (Hansen, 1952; Brisson, 2010; Bergknut, 2010). Discospondylitis, an important differential diagnosis for the observations that we report here, is an intervertebral disk infection with concurrent osteomyelitis in adjacent vertebral apophyses and vertebral bodies (Seim, 2007). The most frequently identified pathogens include Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus intermedius , Staphylococcus epidermidis , Pseudomonas aerginosa , Enterococcus faecalis , and Escherichia coli (Adamo and Cherubini, 2001; Burkert et al., 2005; Slatter, 2003). Males of large and giant breeds are affected more frequently than females (Blaine et al., 2005; Burkert et al., 2005). Discospondylitis can be associated with other loci of infection, wherein secondary centers likely are established hematogenously (Siems et al., 1999). Bone sclerosis and ventral osteophytes are common findings in chronic vertebral infections, and they may be accompanied by marked osteolysis and inflammatory osteoproliferation. More advanced lesions are composed of a mixture of osteolysis and extensive osteoneogenesis, with central destruc- tion and osteophytes bridging adjacent vertebrae. Intradiscal osteomyelitis usually is confined to the ventral vertebral body and disk, but the infection can extend dorsally (Johnson and Prata, 1983; Shamir et al., 2001). The present investigation was limited to spinal pathology. The skeletal remains show no signs of violent death, and butchery marks typifying cynophagia or other invasive practices are not present (Chrószcz et al., 2013). However, severe osteoproliferation and fusion are present along the vertebral bodies, vertebral arches, and transverse processes. Ankylosis is ...
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Enthesophytes on sheep elbow joints are commonly reported in archaeological material. Although these lesions are often described as ‘penning elbow’, little is known of their aetiology. In this study, a new method for recording these lesions is presented, and the effect of age, sex and body size is explored to understand their potential f...
Citations
... In the veterinary literature, the condition is often stimulated by age and genetics, though it has also been noted to be caused by the mechanical stresses associated with pulling or carrying loads, or by trauma (Germonpré et al. 2016;Latham and Losey 2019), where working individuals show an increased rate of spondylosis deformans over those of advanced age. Spondylosis deformans can also occur simultaneously with discospondylitis (Janeczek et al. 2015), which is an infection of the intervertebral disk typically caused by bacteria (Brocal, Ribas del Río, and Feliu-Pascual 2019;Janeczek et al. 2015). Due to their relationship with humans, spondylosis deformans in archaeological dogs can originate from a variety of sources, such as activity patterns, repeated pregnancies, trauma, and disk degeneration (Germonpré et al. 2016;Latham 2016;Morgan 1967). ...
... In the veterinary literature, the condition is often stimulated by age and genetics, though it has also been noted to be caused by the mechanical stresses associated with pulling or carrying loads, or by trauma (Germonpré et al. 2016;Latham and Losey 2019), where working individuals show an increased rate of spondylosis deformans over those of advanced age. Spondylosis deformans can also occur simultaneously with discospondylitis (Janeczek et al. 2015), which is an infection of the intervertebral disk typically caused by bacteria (Brocal, Ribas del Río, and Feliu-Pascual 2019;Janeczek et al. 2015). Due to their relationship with humans, spondylosis deformans in archaeological dogs can originate from a variety of sources, such as activity patterns, repeated pregnancies, trauma, and disk degeneration (Germonpré et al. 2016;Latham 2016;Morgan 1967). ...
... In Class 2, the spurs do extend beyond the edges of the vertebral body. Finally, in Class 3, the pathological osteophytes bridge between adjoining vertebrae and ankylosis occurs (Carnier et al. 2004;Janeczek et al. 2015). An osteological example of spondylosis deformans showing Class 1 (image A), Class 2 (image B), and Class 3 (image C) lesions can be observed in Figure 1 above (Latham and Losey 2019). ...
Pathologies are rarely studied in sled dogs of the circumpolar North, even though lesions on their remains can give many insights to the relationship between Indigenous peoples and domestic dogs such as subsistence and mobility patterns. Some of the more commonly discussed conditions include spondylosis deformans, fractures, and dental trauma. However, it should be noted that these conditions are still fairly uncommon in the general literature. In sled dogs, spondylosis deformans stems from osteophyte formation on the vertebrae due to the degradation of the annulus fibrosus in the intervertebral disk. Fractures develop from human disciplinary action, bite wounds, or kicks from draught animals. Finally, dental trauma typically presents as intentional tooth removal or enamel hypoplasia. Pathology studies in dogs are uncommon due to a lack of comparative modern pathological collections, and due to a lack of recording in assemblages. Future research could develop the literature by examining collections from Yamal, Siberia.
... Commonly applied research methods, used in both fields, involve zoological and anatomical identification of the remains of different animal species [1][2][3], assessment of paleopathological changes [2,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10], as well as taphonomic marks on bones, identification of sex, estimation of withers height [2,[4][5][6][11][12][13], and determining the morphological type [2,[4][5][6][7]14], season, and also the animal's age at death. In fossil studies, it is important to determine the individual age of death of animals because of the utility of this information for, among other analyses, the estimation of mortality patterns (catastrophic profile and natural mortality profile). ...
The analyses were performed on a right third premolar (P3) of a white rhinoceros female (Ceratotherium simum, Burchell 1817). The specimen was born in captivity at London Zoo (Zoological Society of London), then in the 1970s transferred to Kiev Zoo (Peremohy Avenue), Ukraine, and was kept there until it died at a documented chronological age of 48 years. The female died because of its age, which indicates it was kept in good conditions adequate to the requirements of this species. Photographs and micrographs with radiological documentation were taken on the said tooth. Its structural characteristics were determined, and on the occlusal surface areas and points of anatomical constitution of its crown were identified. The tooth was also histologically evaluated via sections taken horizontally in a mesial-distal plane through the crown, horizontally in a mesial-distal plane through the coronal portion of the root, and longitudinally in a lingual-buccal plane through the crown and the root. Preparations with ground sections were made and observed in white, polarized, and reflected light. In the subsequent stage X-ray and SEM imaging has also been used, for analysis of the distribution of annual growth layers of mineralized dental tissues of cement and dentine, counted from the root canal center to the buccal surface. An attempt was also made to confirm the annual season in which the animal died, based on cement growth lines. It was observed that the growth lines were visible in all the analyzed sections, in dentine and cement. In the cement, the lines were relatively few and did not represent the attested age of the animal. The analysis of the coloration of the cement lines indicated that the animal was regularly fed a diet that was not seasonally differentiated. From the X-ray examination comes a conclusion that the animal did not suffer from periodontal diseases. Visible growth lines were observed on the dentine. On the horizontal section through the crown growth lines in the dentine were few and unclear. On the longitudinal section, both on the caudal and rostral roots, these lines were clearly visible and much more numerous than expected considering the known age of the animal, as more than 50 were counted. On horizontal sections through the upper part of both roots, distinct growth lines were observed in the dentine, and their number—48 for both roots—corresponded precisely to the age of the animal. The results of our study indicate that this method has significant potential for application to verify the age at death for modern and fossil representatives of rhinoceros.
... Commonly applied research methods, used in both fields, involve zoological and anatomical identification of the remains of different animal species [1][2][3], assessment of paleopathological changes [2,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10], as well as taphonomic marks on bones, identification of sex, estimation of withers height [2,[4][5][6][11][12][13], and determining the morphological type [2,[4][5][6][7]14], season, and also the animal's age at death. In fossil studies, it is important to determine the individual age of death of animals because of the utility of this information for, among other analyses, the estimation of mortality patterns (catastrophic profile and natural mortality profile). ...
Structural analysis of teeth allows for the assessment of ontogenetic development of animals. One of the examined characteristics is the growth of dental tissue as an indicator of the individual animal's age at death. Such studies are carried out on fossil as well as on modern material. Existing studies on the subject, including those on the rhinoceros family, often use different research techniques and a different approach to the problem. This applies i.a. to the analyzed cross-sectional surfaces and the type of tooth tissue (cement, dentine). Thus, we present an attempt to determine the age of an animal on the example of dentine increment lines distribution analysis and cement in a white rhinoceros specimen for which its age is known. The object of analyses was a right premolar tooth (P3) from a mandible belonging to a 48-year-old white rhinoceros female (Ceratotherium simum, Burchell 1817), which died on March 22, 2016 in the Kiev Zoo, Ukraine. Photographic and radiological documentation of the mandible was made for the examined tooth. The characteristics of the tooth structure were determined, on the occlusal rubbing surface identified were areas and points of the anatomical constitution of the tooth crown. A histological evaluation was also carried out on the observed structures of dental tissues in occlusal, horizontal and longitudinal plane. The study was carried out with the use of hard grinds techniques and then observations in white, polarized and reflected light. X-ray and SEM had also been used, for analysis, in the subsequent stage, towards the distribution of annual growth lines of the mineralized dental tissues of cement and dentin, counted from the root canal center to the cheek surface of the tooth. Besides analyzing the number of growth lines, an attempt was also made to confirm the vegetation season in which the animal died, based on the cement growth lines. On the basis of observations of growth lines, it was found that they were visible on all analyzed planes, on dentine and on cement. On the cement the lines were sparse and they did not represent the known age of the animal. The most visible growth lines were observed on the dentin. Whereas on the occlusal plane these lines were few and unclear. On the longitudinal plane, both on the caudal and rostral roots these lines, although clearly visible, were much more numerous than expected due to the known age of the animal, as more than 50 were counted. On horizontal planes, for both roots, distinct growth lines were observed on dentin and their number 48 for both roots corresponded to the age of the animal. From the analysis of the color of the cement lines we presume, that the animal was regularly fed a diet that was not seasonally differentiated. However, from the X-ray examination we conclude that the animal did not suffer from periodontal diseases. These studies can be used to estimate the age at death of fossil rhinoceros representatives.
... Eugenijus JURGELĖNAS 1* , Indrė ZAKIENĖ 1 and Linas DAUGNORA 2 pathologies has been associated with ancient specimens, with research revealing that pathologies were more common in domestic dogs than in wild carnivore species (MacKinnon 2010, Kuehn 2014, Janeczek et al. 2015. ...
The research was aimed at examining 230 skulls and mandibles (113 males and 117 females) of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania. The object of the study was macroscopic evaluation of dental and periodontal pathologies, including changes in the structure of the skull and mandible. The most common teeth pathology was indicated to be hypodontia 13.27% in males and 5.98% in females (excluding M3 molar tooth). The hypodontia of the M3 was found to be common in males 6.19% and 7.69% in females. The findings of the research reveal that pathologies such as hyperdontia, dental fractures, enamel hypoplasia, abrasion, periodontitis stage 3 and stage 4 were less common: 1-4% in both males and females. In four skulls and mandibles of females a complex of severe pathologies of teeth and periodontium were found. There were no similar cases observed in males. This was the only significant difference between males and females. Other pathologies, including fractures of the skull or mandible, atypical form of foramen magnum, and changes in bone structure were rare overall, though slightly more common in males but not significantly.
... The mobility of the lumbar spine, coupled with the immobility of the sacrum, forms a transition zone at the joint, making it a possible point of weakness. [6][7][8][9][10] Subsequent stress that is placed on the joint and the lumbosacral intervertebral disc uniquely predisposes animals to degenerative diseases, comparable to those that cause lower back pain in humans. 6,[10][11][12][13][14] Several large and giant breeds of dogs are prone to serious conditions affecting the lumbosacral region, with some breeds being more predisposed than others due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors; for example, hip dysplasia affecting German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers and Lumbosacral Stenosis affecting Boxers. ...
... [6][7][8][9][10] Subsequent stress that is placed on the joint and the lumbosacral intervertebral disc uniquely predisposes animals to degenerative diseases, comparable to those that cause lower back pain in humans. 6,[10][11][12][13][14] Several large and giant breeds of dogs are prone to serious conditions affecting the lumbosacral region, with some breeds being more predisposed than others due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors; for example, hip dysplasia affecting German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers and Lumbosacral Stenosis affecting Boxers. In addition, the mobility of the lumbosacral joint and its function in force transmission makes L7 and the sacrum prone to fracture, frequently because of trauma to the area. ...
... In addition, the mobility of the lumbosacral joint and its function in force transmission makes L7 and the sacrum prone to fracture, frequently because of trauma to the area. 4,6,7,14,15 There have been several studies on the occurrence of transitional vertebrae in dogs and their relationship to sacroiliac morphology, [16][17][18][19] but little research on lumbosacral morphology. The aim of the study was, to investigate the canine breed-specific biometrics of lumbosacral anatomy using a radiographic and dissection-based approach. ...
... Archaeozoologists can use ancillary methods such as radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and histopathological analysis, which are standard procedures used during clinical examination and diagnosis in small animals (Petite and Dennis, 2006;Meler et al., 2008;Elliot and Mayer, 2009;Furtado et al., 2014). The detailed archaeozoological analysis of animal skeletal remains, their morphology, bone changes, marks of human and animal activities, together with signs of taphonomic factors play an important role in human-animal-environment relationships in the reconstructions of the past centuries (Bartosiewicz and Gal, 2013;Janeczek et al., 2014;Losey et al., 2014;Janeczek et al., 2015). ...
This report presents canid cranial skeletal pathology from an excavation associated with the Przeworsk culture (III c. BC - V c. AD). The dog skull, an intentional inhumation, was dated to the Roman influence and the Migration period (I - V c. AD. The dog was a relatively large animal with a shoulder height calculated as approximately 60 cm. Massive bone changes localized on the facial surface of the left maxilla required a multistage diagnostic protocol. In addition to traditional macroscopic and morphometric evaluation, we used modern diagnostic imaging techniques such as digital radiography, computed tomography and 3D reconstruction. These, along with histopathological studies, allowed us to identify a primary malignant bone tumor: telangiectatic osteosarcoma.
