Ankylosing Spondylitis (Marie Strumpel Disease)In Historic and Prehistoric Northern Plains Indians

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis, a form of chronic, progressive spinalarthritis, occurs in about 0.05% of the population of England today. Sporadic reports of this abnormality have appeared in literature pertaining to paleopathology, but to date there has been little opportunity to identify and study this process in large, well documented populations of all ages and.both sexes. In the study of over 2600 Indian burials from North and South Dakota (at least 1415 of which were over 16years of age at death) representing several periods in time, but primarily of Arikara origin, and showing many representative demonstrations of arthritis, we have observed only one specimen with definite Marie-Strumpel Disease (0.07%). Thisincidence compares closely with that found in modern England (0.05%).