More common problems are osteomyelitis of foot bones, and infections, other than tuberculosis, of vertebrae.
The third and fourth vertebrae bear large and thick pleural ribs attached to the parapophyses.
There are five sacral ribs and five fused vertebrae.
It opposes the cricoid cartilage against the cervical vertebrae, compressing the lumen of the upper oesophagus.
The next stage is, typically, biconcave vertebrae, then wedge-shaped vertebral bodies and, finally, complete compression fractures.
Since all 17 skulls were associated with cervical vertebrae, and in some cases with hyoid bones, the heads evidently were fresh when they were interred.
Most commonly affected bones are vertebrae (50%), hands (35%), the skull (28%) and the pelvis (22%).
The separation of vertebrae into caudal and precaudal portions appears rather problematic.
