Harris' lines in adults: An open problem • 93 



very thoroughly from different points 

 of view with the incidence of Harris' 

 hnes in ancient bone materials, we 

 mention especially the studies of Wells 

 (1961. 1967) and Kuhl (1977). Calvin 

 Wells introduced the Index of Mor- 

 bidity, as the means to characterize a 

 population group. The best preserved 

 long bone of the skeleton is always se- 

 lected for study, and the number of Har- 

 ris' lines in the entire population stud- 

 ied is divided by the number of 

 observed skeletons. Unfortunately, 

 studies applying Wells' Morbidity In- 

 dex do not mention if the number of 

 Harris' lines counted includes only 

 those which completely traverse the full 

 width of the bone or those which are 

 partially preserved. In our opinion, 

 these incomplete remnants of Harris' 

 lines signal the period of temporary 

 growth arrest in the individuals past as 

 importantly as the complete ones. In 

 addition it is necessary to take x-ray 

 pictures of the evaluated bones in two 

 views; the discrete shadow of Harris' 

 lines may be seen only in one projec- 

 tion. 



As an example of the incidence of 

 Harris' lines in a recent population we 

 present the findings in a group of 160 

 men with x-ray pictures of the lower 

 extremities examined for other than an- 

 thropological reasons in one region of 

 Czechoslovakia. We followed the Har- 

 ris' lines especially in the tibiae, where 

 these lines appeared most prominently 

 and where they could be recognized 

 most securely. The average age of the 

 men examined was 67.3 years, ranging 

 from 49 to 88 years. With five excep- 

 tions only, the childhood of all these 

 men occurred during the period of 

 World War I. or the years close to it. It 

 could be supposed that apart from the 

 usual childhood infectious diseases, 

 they were exposed to other similar 

 provoking factors during their growth, 

 especially dietary deficiency. Never- 

 theless, this study was not made to esti- 

 mate the influence of different factors 



in the frequency of Harris' lines but to 

 follow the Harris' lines preserved in a 

 group of adult men at a certain individ- 

 ual age and with a similar childhood 

 history. 



In this group of 160 adult men, Har- 

 ris' lines were found in only 35 (21.9%) 

 cases. This would imply that nearly 

 80% of these men did not sutler from 

 any serious illness or hunger period 

 during World War I, which is hardly 

 probable. Harris' lines were bilateral in 

 27 (77.1%) of the 35 men, on the right 

 side only in 3 (8.6%) and on the left 

 side in 5 (14.3%). The average age of 

 the men with the Harris' lines was 68.5 

 years (ranging from 62 to 84 years). It 

 did not differ significantly from the 

 average age of men without Harris' 

 lines. In most cases more than two Har- 

 ris' lines were present. Lines nearest to 

 the epiphysis were mostly complete; 

 lines situated nearer to the center of the 

 bone were often represented by their 

 dorsally and tibially preserved parts 

 only. 



The distance of the Harris' line to the 

 distal tibial articular surface was differ- 

 ent in individual cases. In most cases it 

 was 2.5-3.5 cm, but in several cases it 

 measured 6 cm and exceptionally 10 

 cm. In bilateral findings the distance on 

 the right and left side was equal. Only 

 in 2.8% of men — quite sporadic — was 

 it possible to identify Harris' lines not 

 only in the distal parts of the tibiae but 

 in the proximal ends, too. In one of 

 these findings the distance between the 

 first proximal Harris' line and the prox- 

 imal articular surface of the tibia corre- 

 sponded with the distance between the 

 first distal Harris" line and the distal 

 tibial articular surface. In all cases of 

 proximal tibial Harris' lines, distal Har- 

 ris' lines were present also. In only two 

 cases did Harris' lines in the distal parts 

 of the fibulae accompany those in the 

 tibiae. Considering the total number of 

 tibiae with preserved Harris' lines, 

 these two fibula ca.ses are really excep- 

 tional. 



We studied the coincidence of Har- 

 ris' lines and the persistence of the epi- 

 physeal line in the distal end of the 

 tibia. The result in our group showed 

 that no less than 31 (88.6%) of the men 

 with Harris' lines aged 62 to 84 also had 

 preservation of the epiphyseal line at 

 the same time. Only 4 men (11.4%) 

 with Harris' lines failed to demonstrate 

 a recognizable epiphyseal line. In men 

 without Harris' lines, the epiphyseal 

 line was visible in only 41 (32.8%). 

 The association of simultaneous per- 

 sistence of Harris' lines and of the epi- 

 physeal line was statistically signifi- 

 cant. 



In conclusion, we summarize our 

 opinions on the possibility of using 

 Harris' lines in the paleopathological 

 analysis of adults: 



1 . It is necessary to consider Harris' 

 lines in the skeleton of an adult individ- 

 ual as an expression of a strikingly indi- 

 vidual feature. The absence of Harris' 

 lines can hardly represent secure evi- 

 dence of the general state of health of 

 the population because there are no 

 identified rules of their preservation up 

 to adult age. 



2. Asymmetry of the occurrence of 

 Harris' lines on the left and right side of 

 long bones is so exceptional that it is 

 possible to use either tibia for their 

 demonstration and study. 



3. In the evaluation of Harris' lines, 

 it is necessary to base the result on x-ray 

 pictures in two views to demonstrate 

 incomplete lines. 



4. It is possible to use the frequency 

 of Harris' lines to characterize a certain 

 population group if it is remembered 

 that Harris' lines are polyetiological 

 and that the problems of their per- 

 sistence up to adult age are not solved. 



5. The statistical significance of the 

 coincidence of persistent Harris' lines 

 with the epiphyseal lines in our group 

 suggests very interesting relationships. 



Zagreb Paleopathology Symp. 1988 



