Geographic distribution of calcium pyrophosphate (CPPD) deposition disease in pre-Columbian North America: independent validation of CPPD criteria.

Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD), a form of crystalline arthritis, has a unique distribution in the Early to Middle Archaic Periods (3000 to 8000 years before the present) of North America, contrasting with the generalized geographic distribution of osteoarthritis. Incursion of CPPD into specific regions suggests possible migration patterns. The disparate geographic distribution of CPPD and osteoarthritis provide independent verification of the validity of diagnostic criteria utilized for the identification of CPPD.