The curved spine was from an afflication in St Luke"s old age. I believe the Jesuits found documentation that St Luke had it and that the match of the skeleton made it likely it was St Luke. I will see if I can find this article. Some of the medical studied have been going on for some time.
From the article:
The research has shown that the bones belonged to a Syrian. This conclusion was reached by the geneticist Guido Barbujani after an analysis of the DNA. The skeleton belongs to a man who died in old age, presumably between 70 and 85 (which is perfectly in line with the information in the two Prologues), about 5 feet 4 inches tall, and of a stocky build. Dr. Terribile Wiel Marin has found in the bones a serious form of osteoporosis, arthrosis of the spine, and considerable wearing down of the teeth.
From the article:
The research has shown that the bones belonged to a Syrian. This conclusion was reached by the geneticist Guido Barbujani after an analysis of the DNA. The skeleton belongs to a man who died in old age, presumably between 70 and 85 (which is perfectly in line with the information in the two Prologues), about 5 feet 4 inches tall, and of a stocky build. Dr. Terribile Wiel Marin has found in the bones a serious form of osteoporosis, arthrosis of the spine, and considerable wearing down of the teeth.