title: Radiographic Measurement of Hindlimb Digit Length in Standing Heifers.
abstract: The digital skeleton of the hindlimbs was evaluated radiographically in 27 standing Brown Swiss heifers. The lateral digital skeleton was significantly longer than its medial counterpart on both a hard (wooden block) and a softer (wooden block covered with a thin rubber mat) surface. There were no significant differences between lengths measured on the hard and the soft surface. The difference between the length of the lateral and medial digits originated at the level of the condyles and increased with P1 and P2. It was partially compensated by a higher third phalanx (P3) in the medial digit, but this did not offset the overall length difference. The findings of this study confirmed that the length asymmetry of the paired digits of cattle documented previously in post-mortem specimens is also present in living cattle. Further investigation is required to determine the clinical relevance of the length asymmetry of the digital skeleton in cattle.
authors.affiliation: Division of Ruminant Surgery, Department of Farm Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland. evelyne.muggli@bluewin.ch.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Muggli
authors.affiliation: Division of Ruminant Surgery, Department of Farm Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weidmann
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Department of Small Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kircher
authors.affiliation: Division of Ruminant Surgery, Department of Farm Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nuss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002417:Cattle / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006724:Hoof and Claw / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011859:Radiography / Q000662:veterinary*