Department
Geography and Anthropology
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-25-2020
Embargo Period
8-18-2020
Abstract
This case study documents an unusual heterotopic ossification with associated pseudarthroses of the lumbar spine. We examined the partial skeletal remains of an adult from a Late Bronze Age (Mycenaean Late Helladic IIB-IIIA1 period, approximately1400–1375 BCE) chamber tomb from the Athenian Agora excavations in Greece. This individual had a large bony mass in the region of the intertransversarius muscle that spanned L3–L5 vertebrae and formed pseudarthroses at the superior and inferior ends. The differential diagnosis of the bony mass included dystrophic and neoplastic calcifications and myositis ossificans traumatica (MOT). MOT is a benign heterotopic bone growth typically found in skeletal muscles. MOT usually results from a trauma and is most commonly found in the thigh, buttocks, or upper arm, although it has been documented clinically in other areas as well, such as in paravertebral muscles. The mature, remodelled cortex of the bony mass and the two well-developed pseudarthroses indicate that this individual lived with this condition for a number of years.
Journal Title
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
Journal ISSN
1099-1212
Volume
30
Issue
3
First Page
410
Last Page
414
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1002/oa.2866
Comments
This article received funding through Kennesaw State University's Faculty Open Access Publishing Fund, supported by the KSU Library System and KSU Office of Research.
This article was originally published by the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.