Palaeopathology

About this book

Palaeopathology is an evidence-based guide to the principal types of pathological lesions often found in human remains and how to diagnose them. Tony Waldron presents an innovative method of arriving at a diagnosis in the skeleton by applying what he refers to as 'operational definitions'. The method ensures that those who study bones will use the same criteria for diagnosing disease, thereby enabling valid comparisons to be made between studies. Waldron's book is based on modern clinical knowledge and provides background information on the natural history of bone disease. In addition, Palaeopathology demonstrates how results from studies should be analysed, methods of determining the frequency of disease, and other types of epidemiological analysis. This edition includes new chapters on the development of palaeopathology, basic concepts, health and disease, diagnosis, and spinal pathology. Chapters on analysis and interpretation have been thoroughly revised and enlarged.

Contents

Part I. Introduction and Concepts:
1. Beginnings
2. Basic assumptions
3. Health and disease
4. Diagnosis

Part II. Pathology:
5. Osteoarthritis
6. Other joint diseases
7. Spinal pathology
8. Infectious diseases
9. Metabolic diseases
10. Trauma
11. Neoplastic diseases
12. Disorders of growth and development
13. Special pathology
14. Dental disease

Part III. Analysis:
15. Introduction to epidemiology
16. Interpretation

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Biography

Tony Waldron is a Professor at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. An epidemiologist and consulting physician at three London teaching hospitals, he is the author of several hundred papers and books.