ROME (EFE).— In the Middle Ages, osteoarthritis was caused by physical overwork, while today it is caused by a sedentary lifestyle, according to a study of bone remains from the 11th and 12th centuries found in excavations at the Colosseum Archaeological Park.
The analysis of the bone microstructure of the remains of four individuals from a Roman family found in the Domus Tiberiana was promoted by the AILA foundation, which fights osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, in collaboration with the Colosseum and two professors from La Sapienza University.
In the Middle Ages, the combination of agricultural work and intense manual labour contributed to a remarkable development of muscles and bones, especially in the lower joints, but this also led “to the development of early osteoarthritis at an age that we consider young today,” says Michela Relucenti, a professor at La Sapienza.
The first bone remains analyzed correspond to those of a woman aged 20 to 30 who was diagnosed with osteoarthritis due to erosion of the cartilage in the femur, but who did not present any type of osteoporosis.
The bones of a child aged 6 to 9 years, whose sex is unknown, and with symptoms of anemia and a herniated disc due to lifting weights that were too heavy for his age and physical build, were also analyzed.
Feeding
The family had a diet based on vegetables and protein supplements derived from meat, “so they were not particularly malnourished people, they were normal people for the time,” concludes Relucenti.
Given the fragility of the samples, an innovative microscope with an EDX probe was used to observe the bone samples using a non-destructive method, in their natural state and without any preparation procedure that would permanently modify them.
In contrast to the Middle Ages, when people endured “excessive loads that developed osteoarthritis, today a sedentary lifestyle, in addition to developing osteoarthritis, also leads to osteoporosis,” explains AILA President Francesco Bove, who stresses the importance of “a balance between load and age” in daily physical activity.
He warns that “another danger of modern society is obesity” because it assumes that “an individual who should weigh 65 kilos weighs 85, it is as if he were carrying a load of 25 kilos on his back”, so in this case osteoarthritis has the same causes as in ancient times.
“Thanks to the study of ancient individuals, we understand the importance of a correct lifestyle to maintain bone health, yesterday, today and also in the future,” Relucenti emphasizes.
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2024-08-06 07:34:57
