Using spinal activity-related osseous change in order to explore patterns of occupational stress in a Greek Contemporary Skeletal Collection.

Abstract

Even though the relationship between occupational stress and entheseal changes has been extensively examined in modern skeletal series, less attention has been given in examining degenerative and plastic osseous change along the spine in relation to different professions. This paper attempts this investigation and is the first that explores the level of physical activity in female housekeepers of The Athens Collection. A sample of 65 adult skeletons up to 50 years old and 1653 vertebrae are examined for Degenerative Joint Diseases (including Schmorl's nodes) and spinal facet remodeling. The above sample is divided in three occupational groups: male laborers, male non-laborers and female housekeepers, based on biomechanical and socio-cultural criteria. Males in the labor group present the highest percentage in Schmorl's nodes (13.1%) and osteophytes, whilst housekeepers exhibit the highest rate in spinal facet remodeling (45.8%). As expected, male laborers actually do present a more intense physical activity than those of the non-labor one, while this study confirmed that housekeepers do comprise a physically stressed occupational group. Spinal facet remodeling and Schmorl's nodes seem to be the least affected indicators by the factor of age, and thus are cautiously proposed as markers of physical activity in modern reference collections. Our study supports the significance of examining the current markers and especially spinal facet remodeling, in a modern skeletal collection with documented occupations and hopes to encourage more researchers to further explore the potential merit of exploring occupational stress through spinal plastic and degenerative change in identified skeletal collections.