Spina Bifida Sacralis Occulta from Ancient Greek Sicily (Pozzanghera Necropolis, Leontinoi, 6th–4th Century BC): Anatomical, Anthropological and Ethnomedical Considerations on the Insular Presentation of this Congenital Anomaly

Authors

  • Sebastiano Melintenda FAPAB Research Center, Avola (SR), Sicily, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2696-293X
  • Elena Varotto FAPAB Research Center, Avola (SR), Sicily, Italy; Archaeology, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Department of Humanities (DISUM), University of Catania, Catania, Sicily, Italy image/svg+xml https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6637-9402
  • Eleonora Pappalardo Department of Educational Sciences (DISFOR), University of Catania, Catania, Sicily, Italy image/svg+xml
  • Lorenzo Guzzardi Parco Archeologico di Leontinoi, Lentini, Siracusa, Sicily, Italy
  • Veronica Papa FAPAB Research Center, Avola (SR), Sicily, Italy; Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, School of Science, Engineering and Health, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Naples, Italy image/svg+xml https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9995-1097
  • Dario Palermo Department of Educational Sciences (DISFOR), University of Catania, Catania, Sicily, Italy image/svg+xml
  • Francesco M. Galassi Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland image/svg+xml https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8902-3142

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1898-6773.86.2.02

Keywords:

anatomy, congenital anomaly, palaeopathology, Sicily, spina bifida occulta, vertebral column

Abstract

In this article a case of spina bifida sacralis occulta (SBSO) from the Pozzanghera necropolis of the ancient Greek colony of Leontinoi (Sicily) and archaeologically dated to the 6th–4th century BC is morphologically analysed and discussed. An ethnomedical excursus on the knowledge and impact of this condition in Sicilian history is offered. Although SBO is one of the most frequent congenital anomalies in the global palaeopathological record, a comprehensive literature search did not yield results for the history of Sicily before Christ, hence this case enriches existing knowledge on the historical presentation of this vertebral congenital anomaly in this region.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ashwal S. 2021. Child neurology: its origins, founders, growth and evolution. Academic Press: London, XXII.
View in Google Scholar

Aufderheide AC, Rodríguez-Martín EC. 2005. The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Human Paleopathology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 61–62.
View in Google Scholar

Buikstra JE, editor. 2019. Ortner’s Identification of Pathological Conditions in Human Skeletal Remains. London: Academic Press.
View in Google Scholar

Barnes E. 1994. Developmental Defects of The Axial Skeleton in Paleopathology, Niwot. Ebook Edition, 154.
View in Google Scholar

Bello S. 2001. Tafonomia dei resti ossei umani. Effetti dei processi di conservazione dello scheletro sui parametri antropologici. Phd Thesis in Anthropology. Università degli Studi di Firenze – Université de la Méditerranée de Aix-Marseille, Faculté de Médicine, Supervisor: O. Dutour.
View in Google Scholar

Bentley TG, Willett WC, Weinstein MC, Kuntz KM. 2006. Population-level changes in folate intake by age, gender, and race/ ethnicity after folic acid fortification. Am J Public Health 96(11):2040–2047.
View in Google Scholar

Buikstra JE, Ubelaker DH. 1994. Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains in Arkansas. Archaeological Survey Research Series, 44, Fayetteville.
View in Google Scholar

Ferembach D, Schwidetzky I, Stloukal M. 1977–1979. Raccomandazioni per la determinazione dell’età e del sesso sullo scheletro. Riv Antropol 60:5–51.
View in Google Scholar

Galassi FM, Gelsi R. 2015. Methodological limitations of an etiological framing of Ariarathes’ goitre: response to Tekiner et al. J Endocrinol Invest 38(5):569.
View in Google Scholar

Goodrich J. 2008. A Historical Review of the Surgical Treatment of Spina Bifida. In: Özek M, Cinalli G, Maixner W, editors. 2008. Spina Bifida: Management and Outcome. Milan: Springer, 3–17.
View in Google Scholar

Gregerson DM. 1997. Clinical consequences of spina bifida occulta. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 20(8):546–550.
View in Google Scholar

Henneberg RJ, Henneberg M. 1999. Variation in the closure of the sacral canal in the skeletal sample from Pompeii, Italy, 79 AD. Perspectives in Human Biology 4:177–188.
View in Google Scholar

Kelty ER, Henneberg M. 2022. Sacral Spina Bifida Occulta: A Frequency Analysis of Secular Change. Anthropol Rev 85(2):13–62.
View in Google Scholar

Lovejoy CO. 1985. Dental wear in the Libben population: its functional pattern and role in the determination of adult skeletal age at death. Am J Phys Anthropol 68:47–56.
View in Google Scholar

Lovejoy CO, Meindl RS, Pryzbeck TR, Mensforth RP. 1985. Chronological metamorphosis of the auricular surface of the ilium: a new method for determination of adult skeletal age at death. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 68:15–28.
View in Google Scholar

Manenti G, Iundusi R, Picchi E, Marsico S, D’Onofrio A, Rossi G, Tarantino U, Floris R. 2016. Anatomical variation: T1 spina bifida occulta. Radiological findings. Radiol Case Rep 12(1):207–209.
View in Google Scholar

Melintenda S. 2021. Studio Bioarcheologico di un campione di inumati provenienti dalla necropoli di Pozzanghera (Lentini, SR). Postgraduate Diploma in Archaeology (Scuola di Specializzazione in Beni Archeologici), University of Catania, Supervisor: E. Pappalardo, Co-Supervisor: E. Varotto.
View in Google Scholar

Mutlu H, Kizgut B, Sözer ÇS, Ürker K, Açar O, Erol AS. 2020. Sacral spina bifida occulta rare occurrence in Byzantine Belentepe population in Muğla, Turkey: A possible case for adequate folic acid intake. Homo 71(3):175–188.
View in Google Scholar

Mitchell LE, Adzick NS, Melchionne J, Pasquariello PS, Sutton LN, Whitehead AS. 2004. Spina Bifida. Lancet 364(9448):1885–1895.
View in Google Scholar

Morse D. 1978. Ancient disease in the Midwest. State Museum Reports of Investigations, 15. Springfield: Illinois State Museum.
View in Google Scholar

Nastoulis E, Karakasi MV, Pavlidis P, Thomaidis V, Fiska A. 2019. Anatomy and clinical significance of sacral variations: a systematic review. Folia Morphol. (Warszawa) 78(4):651–667.
View in Google Scholar

Ornstein B, Virchow R. 1875. Bericht über den griechischen Soldaten mit sacraler Trichose. In: Sitzung vom 18. Dezember 1875. Z Ethnol 7:279–281.
View in Google Scholar

Papa V, Varotto E, Vaccarezza M, Ballestriero R, Tafuri D, Galassi FM. 2019. The teaching of anatomy throughout the centuries: from Herophilus to plastination and beyond. Med Histor 3(2):69–77.
View in Google Scholar

Palermo D. 1991. Leontini, Scavi nella necropoli di Pozzanghera. Cron Arch (Catania) 21:67–85.
View in Google Scholar

Pepe F, Pepe P, Grillo S, Insolia G. 1999. Assunzione periconcezionale di acido folico in coppie siciliane a rischio di ricorrenza di DNT. Minerva Ginecol 51(10):399–402.
View in Google Scholar

Picchi D, Lecciso E, Galassi FM, Golfieri R. 2022. Multidisciplinary Study of the Mummy of the Ancient Egyptian Dignitary Usai (7th century BC). Anthropologie (Brno) 60(1):141–148.
View in Google Scholar

Pitrè G. 1896. Opere Complete di Giuseppe Pitrè. Medicina Popolare Siciliana. Vol. XIX. Florence: G. Barbèra Editore, 245.
View in Google Scholar

Staub K, Henneberg M, Galassi FM, Eppenberger P, Haeusler M, Morozova I, Rühli FJ, Bender N. 2018. Increasing variability of body mass and health correlates in Swiss conscripts, a possible role of relaxed natural selection? Evol Med Public Health 2018(1):116–126.
View in Google Scholar

Tardieu GG, Loukas M, Fisahn C, Shoja MM, Oskouian RJ, Tubbs RS. 2017. The Italian Giuseppe Muscatello (1866–1951) and his contributions to our understanding of childhood spina bifida aperta and occulta. Childs Nerv Syst 33(3):389–391.
View in Google Scholar

Trapp B, de Andrade Lourenção Freddi T, de Oliveira Morais Hans M, Fonseca Teixeira Lemos Calixto I, Fujino E, Alves Rojas LC, Burlin S, Cerqueira Costa DM, Carrete Junior H, Abdala N, Tobaru Tibana LA, Takehara ET, Dalul Gomez G. 2021. A Practical Approach to Diagnosis of Spinal Dysraphism. Radiographics 41(2):559–575.
View in Google Scholar

Varotto E, Militello PM, Platania E, Sferrazza P, Galassi FM. 2021. Paleopathological study of a podal osteochondroma from the prehistoric Hypogeum of Calaforno (Sicily). Clin Anat 34(1):19–23.
View in Google Scholar

Wald NJ. 2011. Commentary: a brief history of folic acid in the prevention of neural tube defects. Int J Epidemiol 40(5):1154–1156.
View in Google Scholar

Downloads

Published

2023-06-29 — Updated on 2023-09-18

Versions

How to Cite

Melintenda, S., Varotto, E., Pappalardo, E., Guzzardi, L., Papa, V., Palermo, D., & Galassi, F. M. (2023). Spina Bifida Sacralis Occulta from Ancient Greek Sicily (Pozzanghera Necropolis, Leontinoi, 6th–4th Century BC): Anatomical, Anthropological and Ethnomedical Considerations on the Insular Presentation of this Congenital Anomaly. Anthropological Review, 86(2), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.18778/1898-6773.86.2.02 (Original work published June 29, 2023)

Issue

Section

Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Similar Articles

<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.