Dinosaur Injuries

The left shoulder blade of Allosaurus was either broken in an accident or deformed by disease. Improper healing and uncontrolled bone growth resulted in new bone that is shaped like a mitten. The right shoulder blade developed normally.
Abnormal Left Shoulder Blade of Allosaurus		Normal Right Shoulder Blade of Allosaurus
Photos by Mike Brett-Surman
The adult Camptosaurus suffered a wound in the hip that resulted in a hole (arrow). The muscles from this area control the leg, so the animal may have gone lame.
These are examples of what happens when the nearest veterinarian is 150 million years away! Paleopathology is the name of the science that studies damage and disease that occurred during the lifetime of an extinct plant or animal.