A team of experts, including (from left) BYU professor C. Wilfred Griggs, Utah county medical doctors Bruce Mcliff and Richard Jackson, and San Jose, Calif., Dr Grady Jeeter, examines the mummy in which Griggs discovered a 9-inch iron (22.86 cm) knee pin. (Courtesy of Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum) 

Unraveling the Mystery

In order to investigate the nature of the implant, Griggs, Dr. Richard T. Jackson, an orthopedic surgeon from Provo, and Dr. E. Bruce McIiff, chief of radiology for Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, carefully drilled into the bone to allow access for a tiny camera to examine the pin, and to extract samples of the bone and the metal.

The scientific team found traces of ancient organic resin, similar to modern bone cement, as well as traces of ancient fats and textiles still held firmly in place. Extensive investigations revealed that the advanced procedure had been carried out in ancient times, approximately 2,600 years ago. In order to investigate the nature of the implant, Griggs, Dr. Richard T. Jackson, an orthopedic surgeon from Provo, and Dr. E. Bruce McIiff, chief of radiology for Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, carefully drilled into the bone to allow access for a tiny camera to examine the pin, and to extract samples of the bone and the metal.

The scientific team found traces of ancient organic resin, similar to modern bone cement, as well as traces of ancient fats and textiles still held firmly in place. Extensive investigations revealed that the advanced procedure had been carried out in ancient times, approximately 2,600 years ago.

X-ray showing the 9-inch drill in the knee of Usermontu. (Ahmed bin Tariq)/CC BY-SA 4.0) 

Advanced Orthopedic Procedure

The research team were astounded that the pin had been created with the same designs used today to create bone stabilization.

“We are amazed at the ability to create a pin with biomechanical principles that we still use today—rigid fixation of the bone, for example,” said Dr. Richard Jackson. “It is beyond anything we anticipated for that time.”

BYU reported that the pin “tapers into a corkscrew as it enters the femur, or thigh bone, similar to biomechanical methods currently used. The other end of the pin, which is positioned in the tibia, or shin bone, has three flanges extending outward from the core of the pin that prevent rotation of the pin inside the bone.”

Before Or After Death?

Following the remarkable discovery, the question left on everyone’s lips was – had the surgery been carried out while Usermontu was alive, or after his death?

A full-scaled investigation of the exposed joint revealed that the pin had been implanted between the time of Usermontu’s death and his burial. The ancient Egyptians believed in a physical resurrection after death, in which the body was a vehicle for the soul in the afterlife. Thus, ensuring its integrity was of utmost importance. Griggs added that making sure the body was in a good condition was believed to be essential for the reunification of body and spirit.

While this is the first case of a metal orthopedic implant, other examples of bodily care prior to mummification included the repair of wounds, work to teeth, and the construction of prosthetics.

A 3000-year-old prosthetic big toe, which had been placed on a deceased body after death. Housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.   (University of Manchester) 

“How fascinating that the technician took such considerable thought constructing the pin,” Griggs says. “The technician could have just simply wired the leg together and ᴀssumed that in the resurrection it would knit back together.”

“The story tells us how sophisticated ancient people really were,” Griggs says. “Sometimes our cultural arrogance gets in the way of our being able to appreciate how people from other cultures and times were able to also think and act in quite amazing ways.