1. Incidence and characteristics of juvenile tarsocrural osteochondrosis in purebred Angus bulls.
- Author
-
Emerson SE, Holt TN, Rao S, Bass L, Enns RM, and Barrett MF
- Subjects
- Animals, Cartilage, Articular, Cattle, Cattle Diseases diagnostic imaging, Cattle Diseases pathology, Incidence, Male, Osteochondrosis diagnostic imaging, Osteochondrosis epidemiology, Osteochondrosis pathology, Prospective Studies, Radiography veterinary, Tarsal Joints diagnostic imaging, Tarsus, Animal diagnostic imaging, Tibia, Breeding, Cattle Diseases epidemiology, Osteochondrosis veterinary, Tarsal Joints pathology, Tarsus, Animal pathology
- Abstract
Osteochondrosis (OC) of the bovine tarsus has been suggested to contribute to osteoarthritis. The objective of this prospective cohort study was to provide data specific to the Angus breed. Clinical and radiographic exams evaluating OC lesions, effusion and osteoarthritis were performed in 50 purebred bull calves at three time points between 5.8 and 21 months of age. The likelihood of OC was lower at a median age of 12.4 months (P<0.001), primarily due to resolution of distal talus changes (P<0.01). Significant associations were observed between medial malleolus lesions and effusion at median age of 7.4 months (P<0.001). This study suggests that clinical and radiographic screening performed at approximately one year of age may be beneficial in detecting tarsal OC lesions in Angus breeding herds., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF