Advanced Ancient Egyptian Surgery

[Patrick Waterson]

From the Daily Express.  Researchers were surprised to find that an Egyptian mummy contained an orthopaedic screw in one knee.

Researchers during a routine DNA test on a male Egyptian have made an astonishing discovery after finding a 23cm iron orthopaedic screw inside his knee.

The mummy is thought to have died between the 16th and 11 century BC and the pin is held in place by organic resin, similar to modern bone cement.  Medical experts were so amazed by this discovery they drilled through the bone to allow access for an arthroscopic camera to take a closer look.  This confirmed what they believed was impossible – that this operation was performed over 3,000 years ago.

Not only were the researchers astonished that the pin is ancient, but the highly advanced design had the visiting surgeons in awe.

"The pin is made with some of the same designs we use today to get good stabilisation of the bone," said Dr. Richard Jackson, an orthopeadic surgeon from Brigham Young University.  Apparently, the ancient Egyptian doctors knew how to use the flanges on a screw to stabilise the rotation of the leg.

To date, no other mummy has ever been found with evidence of a similar surgery.

"I have to give the ancients a lot of credit for what they have done," added Dr. Wilfred Griggs, who led the team of scientists conducting DNA research on the mummy when they made this incredible find.

But the question remains, how did the ancient Egyptians develop such advanced technology?

One should perhaps point out this is not so much advanced technology as advanced technique.  Curiously, the mummy appears not to have been dated within the 500-year range specified, though its appearance seems to suggest 19th Dynasty.

[Sharur]

Great to see the Express continues to keep up with the times. This was news back in 1996...

Looks as if the pin was inserted post-mortem but pre-mummification, just to hold the leg in place.

Not sure why this has suddenly resurfaced now, but it's been on the circuit a while. This version appeared in Feb 2014 (worth a look, as it deals with other Ancient Egyptian prosthetics, which were used in life), but this page is helpful too, because it explains what the X-ray images actually show, which the "messagetoeagle" site (previous link) seems less sure about.

Silly Season for the press already, presumably 

[Patrick Waterson]

Thanks Alastair: that adds some proper depth and perspective on the subject.

It is annoying how 'popular' newspapers flash a story before us without regard to date or provenance.  At least as long as we have diligent and knowledgeable SoA members like your good self we are not entirely at their mercy.