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. 2016 Dec;128(6):1384-1387.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000001720.

Hip Dislocation and Dystocia in Early Medieval Times: Possible Evidence of Labor Maneuver

Assumpció Malgosa  1 , Susana Carrascal, Giampaolo Piga, Albert Isidro
Affiliations

Hip Dislocation and Dystocia in Early Medieval Times: Possible Evidence of Labor Maneuver

Assumpció Malgosa et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Background: In ancient times, maternal mortality would occur frequently, particularly during labor. Evidence of dystocia resulting in the death of a pregnant woman is very infrequent in paleopathologic literature, with only a few cases being demonstrated.

Case: In the early medieval site of Casserres, the skeleton of a young woman with a fetus in the pelvic region was found. Some abnormal findings of the maternal skeleton were evaluated, including a sacral anomaly, femoral head wound, the rare position of the lower left limb with the femoral head dislodged anteriorly and cephalad from the socket, and a fibular fracture.

Conclusion: Examining the anomalies all together, a case of anterior hip dislocation related to a McRoberts-like maneuver performed during labor is a plausible explanation of the findings.

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References

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