Lecture 19 3/24/25 Flashcards by Danika Boltz

Why is lameness in cattle an important issue?

-high priority producer concern because they can see it
-causes economic losses
-animal welfare concern
-it occurs very commonly

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What are the economical impacts of lameness in the diary industry?

-reduced milk yield
-discarded milk
-decreased fertility rate
-increased culling rate

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What are the economical impacts of lameness in cow-calf operations?

-limited grazing leads to less milk and lower calf weight
-lower fertility rate
-increased culling rate

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What is the economical impact of lameness in feedlot operations?

direct reduction of feed conversion and weight gain

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What are the behavioral changes seen in lame cattle?

-reluctance to walk
-decreased food and water intake
-loss of hierarchic status
-increased stress
-less likely to mount cows/reproduce

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What are the physiological consequences of lameness in cattle?

-less daily weight gain
-decreased milk production
-reduced reproductive performance

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What are the signs of normal gait in cattle?

-flat back
-minimal head bobbing

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What are the signs of abnormal gait in cattle?

-head bob
-arched back
-short strides
-joint stiffness
-legs swinging in or out
-reluctance to bear weight on one foot

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Which claw bears the most weight in the hindlimb?

lateral claw

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Why is it important to know that most hoof problems affect the hind lateral claws?

animals with lateral claw issues will begin to bear weight on the medial claw

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What are the statistics regarding the cause of lameness in cattle?

-90% of lameness cases originate in the foot
-90% of foot lameness occurs in the hind limbs

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What is the composition of the foot?

-2 digits, numbers 3 and 4
-3 phalanges per digit
-1 distal sesamoid bone per side
-horn covers the claws

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Which joints are present in the foot of cattle?

-fetlock joint (metacarpo(tarso)-phalangeal joint)
-PIP joints (proximal interphalangeal joints)
-DIP joints (distal interphalangeal joints)

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Which foot joint experiences the most issues?

DIP joints

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What are the characteristics of the claw?

-protects underlying sensitive corium
-dissipates concussion forces at impact to the ground during the stride
-3 components; wall, sole, and heel bulb

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What are the characteristics of the hoof wall?

-has an axial wall inside/between the digits
-has an abaxial wall with dorsal (front of hoof) and abaxial components
-new hoof wall grows down from the coronary band

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What are the characteristics of the corium?

-sensitive, vascular tissue below hoof wall
-contains blood vessels and nerves
-supplies nutrients to growing hoof capsule
-made of small, finger-like projections called laminae
-laminae interlock with hoof wall to form a strong bond

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Which coria are present in the hoof?

-perioplic
-coronary
-laminar
-solar

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What are the characteristics of the solar portion of the claw/

-produced by solar corium
-merges with horn of heel
-connected to wall by the white line

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What are the characteristics of horn formation?

-living epidermis with highly mitotic cells are found between the dermis and the rest of the epidermis
-epidermis becomes keratinized as the horn grows towards the bottom of the foot
-the outermost layers of horn are cornified/fully keratinized

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What are digital cushions?

3 parallel cylinders of loose connective tissue infiltrated by a variable amount of fat

What are the purposes of the digital cushions?

-compress and expand to absorb shock
-protect fragile inner structures

What happens if the digital cushions become too fatty?

they lose their springiness and are not as functional

What are the characteristics of the laminar corium?

-largest corium that produces the most laminae to interdigitate with hoof wall
-found along entire abaxial wall, around toe, and 1/3 of abaxial side
-produces white line
-suspends P3 in the claw; cow is in her claw, not on it

What are the characteristics of the deep digital flexor tendon?

-attaches on the P3 extensor process -palmar/plantar to the distal sesamoid bone

Where does the superficial digital flexor tendon attach?

What is the purpose of the palmar/plantar cruciate ligament?

X-shaped ligament that maintains the 2 claws together during weight bearing **cow cannot function without this structure

What are the characteristics of the fetlock?

-contains the lateral and medial metacarpo(tarso)-phalangeal joints -100% communication between the two joints

What are the three joints of the carpus?

-radiocarpal joint -intercarpal joint -carpometacarpal joint

Which joints in the carpus communicate with one another?

intercarpal and carpometacarpal joints

What are the four joints of the tarsus?

-tarsocrural -proximal intertarsal -distal intertarsal -tarsometatarsal

Which joints in the tarsus communicate 100% with one another?

tarsocrural and proximal intertarsal

Why is it important that the lateral malleolus is NOT fused to the tibia in cattle?

on radiographs it appears as a radiolucent line; important to recognize it is NOT a fracture

What are the 3 joints within the stifle?

-femoropatellar -medial femorotibial -lateral femorotibial

Which joints in the stifle have 100% communication with one another?

femoropatellar and medial femorotibial

Which ligaments are present within the stifle?

-3 patellar ligaments -2 collateral ligaments -cranial and caudal cruciate ligaments

What is the purpose of the reciprocal apparatus?

ensures the stifle and hock move together

Which muscles contribute to the reciprocal apparatus?

-peroneus tertius -gastrocnemius

What are the characteristics of the peroneus tertius?

-runs from extensor fossa of femur to medial side of tarsus -the muscle that is typically ruptured when there are reciprocal apparatus issues

What is the sign of peroneous tertius rupture?

flexion of the stifle with extension of the tarsus

What is the sign of gastrocnemius rupture?

bearing weight on the hock

What is the suspensory ligament in cattle called?

interosseous medius muscle

Why must the nerves of the limbs be considered in cattle?

-can provide local anesthesia -post-recumbency problems -deficits can explain gait abnormalities

Which type of block can be used to anesthetize the entire foot?

4 point block

Which type of block can be used to anesthetize the entire forelimb?

brachial plexus block

Which nerve is at greatest risk of injury during recumbency?

radial nerve

Which syndromes can occur with tibial nerve paralysis?

-tibial paralysis -tibial spasms

What is the importance of sciatic paralysis?

affects majority of limb and makes weight bearing very difficult

What are the characteristics of obturator paralysis?

-cannot adduct the limbs -need non-slip floor and hobbles to prevent injury

What is a regional limb perfusion?

placement of a tourniquet on a limb prior to injection of anesthetic or antibiotics; drug circulates within the specified region rather than throughout the body