Juvenile elbow dislocation from the prehistoric site of Josipovac-Gravinjak, Croatia

This paper examines a rare case of juvenile elbow dislocation in the human skeletal remains from the Eneolithic (Copper Age) site of Josipovac-Gravinjak in Croatia, dated to 3500-2780 BC. Although dislocations from the archaeological context have been previously reported in adults, they are rarely diagnosed in juveniles. The skeletal remains of a 7.5-8.5 year old juvenile were examined using gross observation and radiography. Analyses of the skeletal remains confirm the absence of a fracture, while comparison with clinical studies suggests that the observed lesions are indicative of a radial head dislocation. The severity of the injury and bone remodelling suggest that the injury occurred more than 6 months prior to death and that it was left untreated.