Richard III, who reigned as king of England from 1483 to 1485, may have been known as a hunchback and was even portrayed as such in the play Richard III by William Shakespeare. It appears that the monarch, whose reign ended when he was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field in August 22, 1485 is not a hunchback as many believed.
Two years after the monarch's remains were dug from a car park in Leicester, England in 2012, researchers have been unearthing long buried secrets about the 15th century king. In a new research published in The Lancet on May 29, researchers who conducted a comprehensive analysis of Richard III's remains said that the king was not really a hunchback, but has likely suffered from scoliosis, a condition characterized by bent spine that affects up to 3 percent of the U.S. population.
For the study "The scoliosis of Richard III, last Plantagenet King of England: diagnosis and clinical significance" researcher Bruno Morgan, from the Department of Radiology at the University of Leicester in the UK and colleagues, used data from CT scans to come up with 3D images and actual models of Richard III's spine to better understand the king's spinal condition and whether or not this has affected his appearance.
The researcher found that the spine of the slain King was pronouncedly bent to the right by 65 to 85 degrees, a strong indication of scoliosis. Today, individuals who have the same spinal curvature as that of Richard III are a candidate for surgery.
The king's remains also gave out a few more clues that suggest he had scoliosis such as his right shoulder was higher than his left shoulder. His torso is also relatively short when compared with his limbs.
The researchers also found evidence that the king's spinal condition did not affect his physical appearance and also his ability to exercise.
"We don't want to trivialize somebody who has got a 70 degree scoliosis because they are going to have pain and discomfort," Morgan said. "But there is no doubt that Richard III could put on a suit of armor and go to battle and fight."
Researchers said that Richard's scoliosis is idiopathic, which means there is no known cause. Up to 85 percent scoliosis cases is idiopathic. Researchers also believe that Richard's spinal condition may not been inherited and may have likely started when he was about 10 years old.
