Evidence of trauma in a ca. 1-million-year-old patella of Homo antecessor, Gran Dolina-Atapuerca (Spain)

Abstract

We present the palaeopathological study of a left patella (ATD6-56) belonging to theEarly Pleistocene species Homo antecessor (Atapuerca-Gran Dolina, Spain). The abnormalmorphology observed in the inferior margin of the patella is an osseous overgrowth (osteo-phyte). Macroscopic and microscopic techniques, including microtomography and zoomstereomicroscope, were used to describe the lesion. Externally, the osteophyte has a smoothand porous texture; the boundary between the more radiolucent osteophyte and the nor-mal bone can be identified in X-ray images. We suggest that the observed signs could besecondary to a local trauma. The lesion would have involved either the bone or related softtissues of the left limb, possibly affecting the stability of the joint. Consequently, the indi-vidual’s knee would have suffered an abnormal mechanical load that could have eventuallytriggered osteoarthritic changes. This is also supported by the lack of changes observed inthe associated right patella (ATD6-22).