Cortical Bone Loss in Barcelona Across Time (1st Century <scp>CE</scp> –18th Century <scp>CE</scp> ) and Its Potential Relationship With Linear Enamel Hypoplasia

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to conduct a diachronic analysis of cortical bone loss in Barcelona, spanning from the 1st to 18th century CE, assessing the relationship between cortical bone loss and early-life stressors, as indicated by linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) across Roman, Late Antiquity, Medieval, and Modern periods and examines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 226 adult individuals (117 males and 109 females) were analyzed. Radiogrammetry of the second metacarpal was used to calculate the metacarpal cortical index (MCI). A subsample of 153 individuals with anterior dentition was used to assess the association between MCI and LEH. Statistical analyses evaluated differences in MCI by sex, age group, historical period, and LEH. Depending on the results, parametric (Student's t-test or one-way ANOVA) or non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis tests) were applied. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences in MCI were observed by sex, age group, or historical period. In contrast, individuals exhibiting LEH showed significantly lower MCI values compared to those without LEH (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that early-life stressors may play a more important role in adult bone health than broad demographic variables, suggesting that early-life stressors may negatively affect bone health in adulthood, supporting early-life programming theory. This study provides the first evidence in Spain of cortical bone loss as assessed through radiogrammetry and is the first to explore the relationship between MCI and LEH, which can establish a foundation for future paleopathological research and comparative studies in Europe.