The analysis of fractures in skeletal populations with an example from the Libben site,Ottowa County,Ohio

A quantitative approach to the analysis of long-bone fractures in skeletal populations is presented. These kinds of data are shown to be valuable in interpreting various behavioral aspects of the population. An example of application is provided for the Libben population. Data from this group show that the overall fracture rate was high (there is a 45% chance of a long-bone fracture in any single individual) but lower than the rates observed in nonhuman primates by almost an order of magnitude when data are adjusted for years of risk. The data for Libben also suggest that traumatic child abuse was not practiced, that most fractures occur as a consequence of accident, that fracture risk was highest in the 10–25 and 45 + age categories, that care of patients was enlightened and skillful in this group, and that chance of fracture is largely determined by accumulated years of risk in the population (r = 0.97).