Did King Tutankhamun have Spina Bifida?

Answer 1

Not according to a 2010 two year research study of the Kings 3,300 year old body.

Recent discoveries regarding King Tutankhamun isn't simply the fact that he had malaria, but they could also determine the exact conditions of his life and death.

It is the first DNA study ever conducted on an ancient Egyptian mummy, it determined that he had a cleft palate and club foot, and died from complications from a broken leg and malaria. It also revealed that his parents were brother and sister. The research was an international and interdisciplinary collaboration, involving archaeologists, medical scientists, and anthropologists from Egypt, Germany, and Italy.

Scientists used microscopes, X-ray machines, and DNA and chemical analysis, they also used a "state-of-the-art CAT-scanner" to perform initial radiological analysis on Tut. Scientists may have discovered Tut's cleft palate and club foot using X-ray scans. Scientists also used bore needles to collect samples. Those samples (which were particularly well-preserved thanks to the ancient Egyptians' masterful mummification) contain the real treasure for scientists: DNA.

Using DNA analysis, researchers were able to achieve several breakthroughs. Scientists found DNA from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in Tut's body, indicating that he suffered from a particularly virulent strain of the disease. This is the oldest genetic proof of malaria in precisely dated mummies, according to the study. The DNA analysis of Tut and 11 other mummies also offered insights into Tut's lineage, helping researchers establish Tut's family tree spanning five generations. For the first time, scientists were able to identify Tut's mother and father, who appear to be siblings.

Finally, scientists used DNA analysis to rule out existing theories about Tut's health. By studying his and his male relative's Y-chromosomes, scientists laid to rest theories that Tut and his father Akhenaten were hermaphrodites or androgynous in appearance. They also ruled out Bubonic Plague or tuberculosis. Perhaps more important, the tests also ruled out foul play in Tut's death.