Radiographic anatomy of juvenile bovine limbs

Abstract

Juvenile bovine patients who present with clinical signs of lameness are commonly evaluated using radiographic techniques both within a hospital setting and in a farm environment. The radiographic development of the juvenile bovine skeleton is currently poorly documented. In this study, the limbs of four heifer calves were sequentially radiographed to assess development of the juvenile bovine appendicular skeleton in the first 12 months of life. Images were acquired at three weeks, three months, six months, nine months and one year of age. The normal radiographic anatomy of the fore limbs and hindlimbs and the changes over the first 12 months are described. The majority of physes remain open throughout this period, with the exception of the proximal physes of the proximal and middle phalanges, the proximal radial physis, and the proximal humeral physis which close radiographically between 9 months and 12 months of age, and fusion of the fourth and central tarsal bones occurs between 9 months and 12 months of age. The results of this study may aid in differentiating normal and abnormal anatomy in the juvenile bovine limb.

Morphology of the thoracic limb of goat as evidenced by gross osteology and radiology

“…The normal gross osteology (Nickel et al., ) and radiographic anatomy (Thrall & Robertson, ) of the appendicular skeleton are well documented in small animals which serve as a reference for the diagnosis and interpretation of musculoskeletal diseases and injuries. Several authors (Bargai, Pharr, & Morgan, ; Duncan et al., ; Hoey, Biedrzycki, Livesy, & Drees, ) have reported the normal radiographic anatomy of the appendicular skeleton in sheep and cattle. To the authors’ knowledge, there is limited information on the normal gross osteology (Al‐Sharoot, Abid, & Al‐Baghdady, ; Nickel et al., ) of the appendicular skeleton in goats and detailed information on the normal radiographic anatomy of the appendicular skeleton is missing.…”

Asymmetries of Forelimb Digits of Young Cattle

“…Images were obtained using a computed radiographic system (Potro DR ® ) following standard procedures [ 36 ]. The exposure factors for dorso-palmar view were 60 kV and 3.2 mAs, with each defrosted foot to be examined with the X-ray beam centered approximately on the metacarpophalangeal joint ( Figure 1 ).…”