Bilateral fractures of the scapula: Possible archeological examples of beatings from Europe, Africa and America

Abstract

Traumatic injuries to the scapula have received little attention in the paleopathological literature. They are rarely encountered in medical emergencies today due to the overlying muscles that protect the bone; they comprise just 1% of all fractures. This collaborative project brings together five cases of bilateral fractures of the scapulae in four ancient populations from three different time periods and three continents (France, Sudan and USA). It is thus an opportunity to interpret bilateral scapula fracture etiology by suggesting a cause that could have been present in all contexts, namely direct trauma such as might take place during beating with heavy sticks or other blunt force weapons. We also argue that oval defects with rounded margins in scapular bodies are less likely to be congenital anatomical variants than the result of healed trauma.