Prehistoric Arthritis in the Americas

TLDR: Osteoarthritis in prehistoric Amerindians and on what may be inferred from its prevalence about differences in the level and type of activities in these groups are focused on.

Abstract: Arthritic conditions are among the most commonplace diseases affecting humans, not only today, but in the past as well. Although arthritis means literally "inflammation of the joints," the term is used to encompass an array of conditions affecting the joints, many of which do not involve inflammation. Perhaps the most familiar of these conditions is osteoarthritis (OA) or degenerative joint disease (DJD), caused by what is sometimes described as "wear and tear" on the joints (82). Because of the role that activities play in the etiology of OA, it is often used as an indicator of activity levels in prehistoric societies, or of the prevalence of specific activities (e.g. spear-throwing). Here I focus on osteoarthritis in prehistoric Amerindians and on what may be inferred from its prevalence about differences in the level and type of activities in these groups. With respect to several other forms of arthritis