Infections du pied dans la période médiévale

Abstract

Three unusual medieval examples of pedal bone infection are presented. All occur in males excavated from the cemetery of St. James' Abbey, Northampton. One case was active at the time of death and exhibits exuberant periosteal reaction. In another, fusion of the bones and obliteration of joint space indicates a chronic infection with evidence of healing. The large sample (n = 278) of skeletons presents with a high frequency of bone pathology, including serious fractures, rare congenital deformities and specific chronic infection. This suggests that the associated infirmary enjoyed a large catchment area and was a popular choice for the sick. Such pedal bone infection has rarely been reported in archaeological material. These cases permit examination of the skeletal response to infection prior to the modern antibiotic era.