Paleopathology and Nutritional Analysis of a South German Monastery Population.

The monastery of Attel, Upper Bavaria, which was founded in AD 1030, harbours a series of crypt burials from the time period between AD 1700 and 1750. Due to a restoration of the church, 16 crypts had to be removed and were subjected to an extensive anthropological-paleopathological and isotope analysis. The 16 crypts contained 19 burials in open wooden coffins. All bodies were covered by an extensive layer of calcium carbonate. Despite this "treatment," bone and teeth were excellently preserved (mean degree of conservation > 75%, completeness > 85%). The anthropological investigation revealed a mean age of 38.5 years and a body height of 1.71 m. Paleopathologically, a surprisingly high rate of trauma was seen (13 injuries in 7 different individuals, i.e., 36.8% of individuals affected), 2 cases presented signs of extensive arthritis urica (gout), and several monks were affected by arthrosis of shoulder and knee joints. Extensive dental attrition, numerous foci of dental caries, and dentogenic abscesses coincided with considerable dental calculus indicating poor oral hygienic conditions. Stable isotope analysis showed adequate mixed carnivore-herbivore nutrition, comparable to that of contemporaneous upper class individuals. This extensive combined analysis provides considerable insight into the nutrition and disease pattern of a middle-class monastery of early 18th century South Germany.

Evaluation of new radiolucent polymer headholder pins for use in intraoperative computed tomography.

OBJECT: With the introduction of intraoperative CT (iCT) scanning, neurosurgeons can now obtain images of the brain during surgery, offering the possibility of intraoperative resection control and monitoring of potential intraoperative complications. The combination of iCT with neuronavigation makes it possible to update the reference scans intraoperatively when necessary. However, the headholder pins normally used for iCT scanning still show artifacts. In the present study, new polymer pins, producing nearly no artifacts in laboratory tests, are compared with the usual pins with regard to their mechanical and artifact behavior to evaluate their potential use in the clinical routine. METHODS: Pins made of different materials (titanium, Macor, silicon nitride, zirconium oxide, sapphire, polyetheretherketone, and polyparaphenylene copolymer) were used for the fixation of 10 cadaveric heads. Special force sensors measured the fixation pressure of the pins, and histological analysis revealed the penetration depth. Computed tomography scans of a head phantom, fixed with the different pins, were obtained to reveal artifact behavior. RESULTS: All pins were biocompatible. Pins did not differ significantly in fixation pressures and mechanical behavior. Penetration depths were comparable (maximum 1.4 mm) and did not cause opening of the diploe. Polymer pins made of polyparaphenylene showed the best results in artifact behavior in CT scans. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' results demonstrate that the new polymer pins are comparable in their mechanical behavior to the usual pins but superior in artifact behavior. Therefore, their use in the clinical routine of iCT scanning will be beneficial for the surgeon.