Seventy million years ago, a duck-billed dinosaur was proved to have suffered from a severe case of septic arthritis. It is the oldest recorded example of this condition that inflamed the elbow joints of the dinosaur due to a fungus or bacteria, researchers said.
Before coming to the end of its life, the plant-eating dinosaur must have suffered terrible pain due to an infection that is common in crocodiles, modern birds or human beings. This horrible condition was found in the X-Ray analyzing the dinosaur’s elbow.
The hadrosaur was 25 feet long and 10 feet tall, weighed around eight tons, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and was feeding on leafs and twigs in swamps and forests.
The researchers came to the conclusion that the disease caused the animal to walk with a limp, having its arms partially bent and almost unable to move its elbow.
The herbivore’s two forearms, the radius, and ulna were carefully observed with scanning facilities from Harvard University. With the help of this innovative technology, they were capable of analyzing the bones which had cauliflower-like growths on them. These swellings most likely caused a severe amount of pain.
Arthritis is very common for humans as well but is not well understood. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. People of all ages, sexes, and races can and do have arthritis, and it is the leading cause of disability in America. Common arthritis joint symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion and can cause permanent joint changes.
Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, inability to do daily activities and make it difficult to walk or climb stairs. This disease can cause permanent joint changes. Some types of arthritis also affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin as well as the bones.
The 70 million years old examined fossils can quickly turn into dust because they are extremely fragile. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the bones were found in Navesink Formation.
It is the first dinosaur known to have suffered from dinosaur arthritis which lengthens from Monmouth to Salem counties.
Image source: Wikipedia