Objective

To present for the first time in the north-western Spanish osteological record prevalence data on Stafne’s bone defect, to compare the results with those reported by other studies, and to increase the dataset for future inter-population comparisons.

Material

In all, 143 complete adult mandibles recovered from two necropolises were analyzed (n = 118, San Juan Bautista of Guardo, Palencia province, 16^th-19^th centuries; n = 25, Plaza del Grano, city of León, 12^th-15^th centuries).

Methods

Differential diagnosis of the lesions was made through macroscopic and Computed Tomography (CT) analyses.

Results

Four mandibles (n = 3, Guardo, Palencia; n = 1, León) presented bone cavities on the lingual aspect of the mandible below the mylohyoid channel, between the first molar and the angle of the mandible. CT scan showed unilateral well-defined unilocular oval/round concavities in the lingual mandibular cortex below the inferior alveolar canal. Neither the macroscopic nor the radiological characteristics are compatible with inflammatory or malignant pathology, favoring instead a diagnosis of Stafne’s bone defect.

Conclusions

Four cases of Stafne’s defects are added to the bioarchaeological inventory. The calculated prevalence is 2.54% for San Juan Bautista and 4% for Plaza del Grano, values in close agreement to those presented in other osteoarchaeological studies.

Significance

The identification of all examples of Stafne’s bone defects in past populations will contribute to elucidate which factors may be responsible for this trait’s cultural, ecological, temporal, and geographical patterning.

Limitations

The skeletal samples are relatively small.

Suggestions for Further Research

In future investigations of Stafne’s bone defects, CT analysis of dry bone specimens is recommended, whenever possible.

中文翻译：

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西班牙斯塔夫内的骨缺损：四例报告和简短的考古文献回顾。

客观的

首次在西班牙西北部的骨学记录中提供有关 Stafne 骨缺损的患病率数据，将结果与其他研究报告的结果进行比较，并增加数据集以用于未来的人口间比较。

材料

在所有，143和完成人下颌骨从两个墓地回收进行了分析（N = 118，瓜尔多的圣胡安包蒂斯塔，帕伦西亚省，16^日-19^日百年; N = 25，广场花岗，城市莱昂，12^日-15^个世纪）。

方法

通过宏观和计算机断层扫描 (CT) 分析对病变进行鉴别诊断。

结果

四个下颌骨（n = 3，Guardo，Palencia；n = 1，León）在下颌舌骨通道下方的下颌骨舌侧，第一磨牙和下颌骨角之间存在骨腔。CT 扫描显示在下牙槽管下方的舌下颌皮质中单侧边界清楚的单房椭圆形/圆形凹面。无论是宏观特征还是放射学特征都与炎症或恶性病理学不相容，反而有利于 Stafne 骨缺损的诊断。

结论

Stafne 的四个缺陷案例被添加到生物考古清单中。San Juan Bautista 的计算患病率为 2.54%，Plaza del Grano 为 4%，与其他骨考古研究中给出的值非常一致。

意义

在过去的人群中识别出所有 Stafne 骨缺损的例子将有助于阐明哪些因素可能导致该特征的文化、生态、时间和地理模式。

限制

骨骼样本相对较小。

进一步研究的建议

在未来对 Stafne 骨缺损的调查中，建议尽可能对干骨标本进行 CT 分析。