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Allison,
I cannot think off-hand of anything that resembles exactly that which you have described. I am presuming from your description that the lesion is smooth and inactive-looking, but with the porosity associated with porotic hyperostosis, or is this incorrect?
Infection and inflammation can cause a periosteal reaction with new bone formation, which can then subsequently be remodelled, and in those instances an exact aetiology can be hard to determine, but could possibly reflect what you are seeing. Conditions such as scurvy (Hypovitaminosis C) can also cause pitting, although I have to admit that I do not usually associate that with the vertebrae. Other colleagues may however know more.
I am interested in animal palaeopathology, so if you wished to let me see a photo I would be delighted to take a look at it.
Stephanie Vann
School of Archaeology and Ancient History
University of Leicester
From: Allison Grunwald <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Allison Grunwald <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ZOOARCH] Porotic hyperostosis on vertebrae?
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 18:10:54 +0000
>Hi all,
>
>I'm cataloguing a collection and I have noticed on two (so far) cow
>vertebrae, on the inferior surface of the spinous process arches there are
>more or less symmetrically located patches of what looks like porotic
>hyperostosis. The texture is smooth, so if it's a lesion it's healed. Is
>there anything it could be pathology-wise, or is this normal for (cow)
>verts? (perhaps it's just an old animal?)
>
>Thanks,
>~Allison