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Link to original content: http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18301930/
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Comparative Study
. 2008 Sep;17 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S327-30.
doi: 10.1007/s00586-008-0640-y. Epub 2008 Feb 27.

The lumbar spine in Neanderthals shows natural kyphosis

Jochen Weber  1 , Carsten Matthias Pusch
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The lumbar spine in Neanderthals shows natural kyphosis

Jochen Weber et al. Eur Spine J. 2008 Sep.

Abstract

Nowadays, lumbar spondylosis is one of the most frequent causes of lower back pain. In order to improve our understanding of the lumbar spine anatomy and functionality over time, we compared the lumbar vertebrae of Neanderthals with those of anatomically modern humans. The fossil record reports on only two Neanderthal skeletons (i.e., Kebara 2 and Shanidar 3, both predating the appearance of modern humans) with full preservation of the entire lumbar spine. Examination of these early hominids showed that they display natural lumbar kyphosis, with only mild degenerative changes of the lumbar spine (ages at death: 30-35 years, Kebara 2; and 35-50 years, Shanidar 3). This finding is highly unexpected since Neanderthals are known to have had extraordinary physical activity due to demanding living conditions. The adult lumbar spines discussed here therefore show no correlation between high physical activity and degenerative spine disease as known from recent times. We speculate that both the kyphosis itself and the massive and heavily muscled skeleton of Neanderthals are causative for the minimal bone degeneration. We conclude that a kyphotic lumbar spine is the natural anatomy in these two Neanderthal individuals. Future research will reveal if this holds true for the entire Neanderthal species.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
All lumbar spine elements constituting a joint unit in the Neanderthal skeleton Kebara 2 were examined for evidence of degenerative changes, and only two regions of mild degenerative spine disease were found: a Marginal osteophytes without uneven joint surfaces (grade 1 in [17]) in the right L5–S1 facet joint (spondylarthrosis); b marginal osteophytes on the left lateral part of the vertebral bodies L3 and L4 (spondylosis)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The bodies of modern humans' L2–L5 vertebrae are dorsally wedged, whereas L1–L4 vertebrae in the two tested Neanderthals are ventrally wedged. The vertebral body morphology in both Neanderthals reveals a ventral curvature of the spine, i.e., lumbar kyphosis. a Ventrally wedged vertebra L3 in the skeleton termed Kebara 2. b sketch of the sagittal curvature of the lumber spine in Neanderthals and modern humans
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