The ligamentum capitis femoris has been studied for 3,600 years. For those
who remain skeptical, a new book— Arkhipov S.V. A Bronze Age Medical Case History: Interpreting
the Book of Genesis in the Light of Modern Medicine. Kyrö: Author’s Edition, 2026. – 808
pp. – 52 tables. – Bibliographical references: 959
entries. (a synthesis of two previous monographs). Available for free access at the
following link: http://books.google.com/books/about?id=viIpEgAAQBAJ
Information about the book, along with the manuscript itself, can be
accessed via this link: https://roundligament.blogspot.com/2026/11/a-bronze-age-medical-case-history-title.html
Abstract:
This special
"case history" book is the culmination of the author's long-standing
career as an orthopaedic surgeon with a passion for the history of medicine. At
the heart of this popular science study lies a Middle Bronze Age patient who
sustained an injury to the ligament of the head of femur (ligamentum teres).
The narrative, drawn from the Book of Genesis, is cross-checked against data
from archaeology, history, natural science, linguistics, and modern medicine.
The processed and structured material demonstrated that the protograph of the
work was created in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, following the
Minoan eruption. An anonymous encyclopaedic physician contributed to its
composition. It was he who first described the mechanism, symptoms, and
differential diagnosis of the injury to the ligament of the head of femur.
Ahead of his time, the ancient Egyptian healer laid the scientific foundation
for the prevention of osteoarthritis and rational hip arthroplasty. The main
conclusion of the presented interdisciplinary analysis is that the foundation
of precision hip treatment was laid 3,600 years ago. The monograph assumes the
reader has a medical background, but will be of value to anyone fascinated by
biblical criticism and the interpretation of the Old Testament. The presented
philosophical and medical conceptualisation is intended to stimulate discussion
on the boundaries of ancient knowledge and the unresolved problems of modern
orthopaedics, in particular, the reconstruction and prosthetic replacement of
the ligament of the head of femur.
