Possible rheumatoid arthritis found in the human skeleton collected from the tomb of Joseon Dynasty, Korea, dating back to the 1700s AD

• Published in: International journal of osteoarchaeology Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 136 - 149
• Main Authors: Kim, D. K., Lee, I. S., Kim, W-L., Lee, J. S., Koh, B. J., Kim, M. J., Youn, M. Y., Shin, M. H., Kim, Y-S., Lee, S-S., Oh, C. S., Shin, D. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.03.2011; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: ankylosis; Archaeology; Bones; Human remains; Joseon Dynasty; Korea; Rheumatoid arthritis; Skeletal system; Tombs; tombs encapsulated by lime soil mixture barrier; South Korea
• ISSN: 1047-482X; 1099-1212
• DOI: 10.1002/oa.1112

We report a possible rheumatoid arthritis (RA) case found in a Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) tomb encapsulated by a lime‐soil mixture barrier (LSMB). The tomb is thought to have been constructed during the 1700s AD (1760 AD by carbon dating). In our anthropological examination, joint destruction, erosion or fusion (signs of polyarthritis) were identified mainly in the peripheral skeleton. Especially in both sides of the wrist bones, severe destruction/joint fusion possibly caused by polyarthritis was observed. A similar polyarthritis pattern also was seen in the right foot bones, even though we failed to confirm this symmetry due to the missing left foot bones. Despite these findings, signs suggestive of polyarthritis are very rarely seen in axial bones, even though bony fusions are found in the atlanto‐occipital joint or thoracic vertebrae (TV) 9–10. By the osteological signs observed in this case, the individual, a female, might have been suffering from a very late stage of RA and died in her 40s, even though other forms of chronic arthritis could not be ruled out completely. Though the current case could not provide evidence to decisively settle the debates on the antiquity of RA, our report could be a stepping stone for forthcoming studies on RA cases found in East Asian countries. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.