Degenerative joint disease (DJD) in non-human primates and its relationship to locomotor adaptation and support use
This thesis examines degenerative joint disease (DJD) in non-human primates with the aim to detect potentially contributing factors to its presence. Locomotor behaviour has received little attention in studies on DJD in non-human primates as a potential causal factor, despite the great locomotor diversity of the order and the link between human bipedalism and DJD. The main goal was to explore the relationship between the disease and the stress exerted on joints, mainly as a result of locomotion. Locomotor adaptation and locomotor strategy were considered alongside with non-locomotor factors (principally body mass and age) as causal factors for joint degeneration. DJD was recorded for the main weight-bearing joints of 35 taxa of non-human primates, representing a wide variety of locomotor adaptations (vertical clingers and leapers, slow arboreal quadrupeds, leapers, quadrupeds, knuckle-walkers and suspensory primates). These taxa move according to different locomotor strategies, such as different speeds (fast and slow moving species) or different patterns of habitat use (arboreal, terrestrial or semi-arboreal species), which led to interactions with supports of different levels of compliance. The primate taxa
Baiges Sotos, Laura
Degenerative joint disease (DJD) in non-human primates and its relationship to locomotor adaptation and support use. This thesis examines degenerative joint disease (DJD) in non-human primates with the aim to detect potentially contributing factors to its presence. Locomotor behaviour has received little attention in studies on DJD in non-human primates as a potential causal factor, despite the great locomotor diversity of the order and the link between human bipedalism and DJD. The main goal was to explore the relationship between the disease and the stress exerted on joints, mainly as a result of locomotion. Locomotor adaptation and locomotor strategy were considered alongside with non-locomotor factors (principally body mass and age) as causal factors for joint degeneration. DJD was recorded for the main weight-bearing joints of 35 taxa of non-human primates, representing a wide variety of locomotor adaptations (vertical clingers and leapers, slow arboreal quadrupeds, leapers, quadrupeds, knuckle-walkers and suspensory primates). These taxa move according to different locomotor strategies, such as different speeds (fast and slow moving species) or different patterns of habitat use (arboreal, terrestrial or semi-arboreal species), which led to interactions with supports of different levels of compliance. The primate taxa
degenerative joint disease non_human relationship adaptation support use examines degenerative joint disease non_human aim detect potentially_contribute factor presence behaviour receive_little_attention study non human potential causal factor despite_great diversity order link human main_goal explore_relationship disease stress exert joint mainly adaptation strategy consider alongside non factor principally body mass age causal factor joint degeneration record main weight bearing joint taxa non_human represent wide_variety adaptation vertical slow taxon move accord_different strategy different speed fast slow move specie different_pattern habitat use terrestrial semi specie lead interaction support different_level compliance taxon