Major trauma affecting the spine, chest wall and arm survived by a 9th/10th century CE individual from Rižinice Croatia

Abstract

This study investigates a series of antemortem injuries in the skeletal remains of a 36-45-year-old male from the medieval site of Rižinice. It presents the injuries comprising a fractured sternum, spinal hyperflexion, multiple rib fractures, and a non-union fracture to the olecranon process of the left ulna and a patella cubiti, a rare anomaly, which until now has not been reported in a paleopathological context. The research aims to uncover the causes, timing, and effects of these traumata, providing insight into the challenges of life in the mid-9th to mid-10th century.

Keywords

• Antemortem trauma
• Patella cubiti
• Medieval health
• Paleoradiology
• Paleopathology