Case report identifies potential osgood schlatter disease in a guanche skeleton from a canary islands burial site, suggesting significance of cultural practices.
In a pre-Hispanic burial cave of the northwestern corner of Tenerife (Canary Archipelago), the right tibia of a young (25-30-year-old Guanche (radiocarbon dating ≈ 650 BP)) man showed avulsion of the anterior tibial tuberosity, perhaps related to Osgood-Schlatter disease. The burial cave was located in the steep slope of a ravine, in a complex archaeological site composed of at least 23 caves (dwelling places + burial caves). This young male was probably exposed during late childhood/adolescence to lasting economic activities that required climbing up and down several times from his dwelling place to agricultural fields, to the seashore, or to the bottom of the ravine in search of fresh water, or to goat herding in such a rough landscape.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Cockerill et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: