Despite popular belief that English King Richard III was a hunchback, new research suggests this may not be the fact about the man who ruled England many centuries ago. Researchers from the UK have published a case study in The Lancet on the skeleton of the king that was uncovered beneath a parking lot in Leicester in 2012.
According to the study, the king did have back problems, mainly scoliosis, an illness that does cause the curvature of the spine, but the king was not a hunchback, the researchers state.
Many reports on the king's mobility and posture suggested that he may have been hunchback, but the new research suggests because he suffered from scoliosis, this would have given symptoms that at the time may have been seen as being hunchback.
Today, those suffering from scoliosis, especially children, are given back braces that allow for the straightening of the spine.
In their efforts to learn more about the king, the researchers used 3D imaging in order to scan the bone structures. Then the Loughborough University team printed those 3D scans of the bones in order to put the pieces, quite literally, together.
"We analyzed the skeleton macroscopically for evidence of spinal curvature and related lesions. From CT 3D reconstructions of each bone, we created polymer replicas and built a model of the spine to recreate its alignment in life," the researchers explain.
The new findings confirm that King Richard would have had an odd shape for 15th century England and this would have left it difficult for him to maintain the normal activities that a king has on a daily basis. But, the researchers warn, this would not have made him a hunchback.
"His trunk would have been short relative to the length of his limbs, and his right shoulder a little higher than the left. However, a good tailor to adjust his clothing and custom-made armor could have minimized the visual impact of this," said co-author of the study Piers Mitchell from the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge.
Scoliosis, if left untreated as was likely the case with the king, can cause a number of physical problems, including heart and lung issues that can develop throughout life and decrease mobility, cause pain and even lead to death.
