Surgery under siege: A case study of leg amputation in 18th century Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada

IF 1.3 3区 地球科学 Q3 PALEONTOLOGY International Journal of Paleopathology Pub Date : 2024-01-20 DOI:10.1016/j.ijpp.2024.01.002
N. Hughes , A.B Scott , D. Pitcher
{"title":"Surgery under siege: A case study of leg amputation in 18th century Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada","authors":"N. Hughes ,&nbsp;A.B Scott ,&nbsp;D. Pitcher","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2024.01.002","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><p>Paleopathological analysis of a below-knee amputation was conducted to explore the sociocultural reasons why the amputation took place.</p></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><p>Older adolescent male (18–21 years) from the New Englander mass burial at the 18th century Fortress of Louisbourg.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Macroscopic assessment and archival data.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>A surgical amputation of the right tibia and fibula, distal to the knee was identified. The cross-sectional diaphysis of the leg has kerf marks and a splinter (breakaway point) at the posterior-lateral border of the tibia suggesting the leg gave way from its own weight or was manually removed once most of the sawing was complete.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Archival records suggest frostbite from prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures and trauma from unsafe working conditions at the Fortress were the main causes that led to amputation.</p></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><p>This case study highlights the importance of contextualizing cases of amputation to understand factors leading to the amputation procedure and techniques used in the past, and the social and living conditions of the individual.</p></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><p>Observations were restricted to skeletal material as soft tissue decomposed and there was no material evidence suggestive of amputation associated with this individual in their grave.</p></div><div><h3>Suggestions for future research</h3><p>Full trauma assessment of the Fortress of Louisbourg skeletal collection to provide additional insight into injury sustained at Louisbourg and 18th century surgical practices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1879981724000020/pdfft?md5=dc8c699940d58945d6f674e3c3ecef95&pid=1-s2.0-S1879981724000020-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Paleopathology","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1879981724000020","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PALEONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

Paleopathological analysis of a below-knee amputation was conducted to explore the sociocultural reasons why the amputation took place.

Materials

Older adolescent male (18–21 years) from the New Englander mass burial at the 18th century Fortress of Louisbourg.

Methods

Macroscopic assessment and archival data.

Results

A surgical amputation of the right tibia and fibula, distal to the knee was identified. The cross-sectional diaphysis of the leg has kerf marks and a splinter (breakaway point) at the posterior-lateral border of the tibia suggesting the leg gave way from its own weight or was manually removed once most of the sawing was complete.

Conclusions

Archival records suggest frostbite from prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures and trauma from unsafe working conditions at the Fortress were the main causes that led to amputation.

Significance

This case study highlights the importance of contextualizing cases of amputation to understand factors leading to the amputation procedure and techniques used in the past, and the social and living conditions of the individual.

Limitations

Observations were restricted to skeletal material as soft tissue decomposed and there was no material evidence suggestive of amputation associated with this individual in their grave.

Suggestions for future research

Full trauma assessment of the Fortress of Louisbourg skeletal collection to provide additional insight into injury sustained at Louisbourg and 18th century surgical practices.

查看原文
分享 分享
微信好友 朋友圈 QQ好友 复制链接
本刊更多论文
围困下的外科手术:18 世纪加拿大新斯科舍省路易斯堡截肢案例研究
材料来自 18 世纪路易堡要塞新英格兰人集体墓葬的年长男性青少年(18-21 岁)。方法显微镜评估和档案数据。结果发现膝盖远端右胫骨和腓骨被手术截肢。腿部横截面的骨骺有切口痕迹,胫骨后外侧边缘有一块碎片(断裂点),这表明腿部因自重而断裂,或在大部分锯切完成后被人工移除。结论档案记录表明,要塞长期暴露在低温环境中造成的冻伤和不安全的工作条件造成的创伤是导致截肢的主要原因。意义本案例研究强调了根据截肢案例的背景来了解导致截肢程序的因素和过去使用的技术以及个人的社会和生活条件的重要性。局限性由于软组织已经腐烂,观察仅限于骨骼材料,而且在该人的墓穴中没有与截肢有关的物证。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 去求助
来源期刊
CiteScore
2.90
自引率
25.00%
发文量
43
期刊介绍: Paleopathology is the study and application of methods and techniques for investigating diseases and related conditions from skeletal and soft tissue remains. The International Journal of Paleopathology (IJPP) will publish original and significant articles on human and animal (including hominids) disease, based upon the study of physical remains, including osseous, dental, and preserved soft tissues at a range of methodological levels, from direct observation to molecular, chemical, histological and radiographic analysis. Discussion of ways in which these methods can be applied to the reconstruction of health, disease and life histories in the past is central to the discipline, so the journal would also encourage papers covering interpretive and theoretical issues, and those that place the study of disease at the centre of a bioarchaeological or biocultural approach. Papers dealing with historical evidence relating to disease in the past (rather than history of medicine) will also be published. The journal will also accept significant studies that applied previously developed techniques to new materials, setting the research in the context of current debates on past human and animal health.
期刊最新文献
Expanding the diagnostic scope of paleopathology: Identification of Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) using a One Paleopathology approach Rickets, resorption and revolution: An investigation into the relationship between vitamin D deficiency in childhood and osteoporosis in adulthood in an 18th-19th century population Characteristics of dental malocclusion in a 18th/19th century population from Radom (Poland) A severe case of bilateral humerus varus deformity from the Middle Bronze age necropolis of Olmo di Nogara, Northeast Italy. The contribution of biomechanical analysis to paleopathological study ABSTRACTS
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
现在去查看 取消
×
提示
确定
0
微信
客服QQ
Book学术公众号 扫码关注我们
反馈
×
意见反馈
请填写您的意见或建议
请填写您的手机或邮箱
已复制链接
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
×
扫码分享
扫码分享
Book学术官方微信
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术
文献互助 智能选刊 最新文献 互助须知 联系我们:info@booksci.cn
Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。
Copyright © 2023 Book学术 All rights reserved.
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号 京ICP备2023020795号-1