PALEOPATHOLOGY IN OSSEOUS REMAINS FROM THE 16TH-CENTURY - A SURVEY OFRHEUMATIC DISEASES

Objective, To describe the rheumatic conditions found in skeletal rema ins of Amerindian ancestry disinterred from a 16th century Mexican cem etery. Methods. A physical anthropologist and 2 rheumatologists survey ed the recovered skeletal remains. Results, We examined the skeletal r emains of 443 subjects. We found 19 cases of Pott's disease, 17 of ost eoarthrosis in various anatomical locations, 2 spondyloarthrapathies, probably ankylosing spondylitis or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperos tosis, one probable septic arthritis in the sterno-clavicular joint, a nd 2 compression fractures of the spine. We found no cases of gout or rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusion, This is the first report on the pres ence of rheumatic conditions in colonial Mexico. Studying the remains of these populations can provide useful information about the origin a nd evolution of different rheumatic conditions.