Evaluation of lesion burden in a bone-by-bone comparison of osteological and radiological methods of analysis

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate differences in lesion identification in skeletal remains with respect to bone type and method of analysis.

Materials: 212 mostly 19th century adult skeletons from St. Bride's Church in London.

Methods: Using a standard protocol, an osteologist evaluated each set of remains for lesions. A radiologist used the same system to examine radiographs of the crania, humeri, pelves, tibiae, and femora.

Results: Osteological analysis noted more lesions per bone type. All bone types examined showed positive, statistically significant correlations between the number of lesions identified by each analytical method. The humerus, tibia, and femur exhibited the strongest correlations. The pelvis exhibited the weakest correlation. For the cranium and pelvis, males showed stronger correlations.

Conclusions: Sex-related differences in correlations were likely influenced by the presence, in females, of lesions affecting the entire skeleton (e.g., osteoporosis). Greater correlations between analytical modalities were observed for long bones.

Significance: Our findings quantify the contexts in which radiological and osteological evaluations converge and diverge and discuss the implications of these results for lesion burden interpretation.

Limitations: Generalizability, potential subjectivity of evaluative methods.

Suggestions for further research: Assessment of another study collection using the same methods, to determine if the similar correlations are observed.

Keywords: Lesion burden; Methodology; Osteology; Radiology.