title: Surgery of the Distal Limb.
abstract: Diseases of the bovine digit remain the major cause of painful lameness in cattle and commonly constitute a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for clinicians. Prompt surgical wound revision is critical in acute injuries. Deep infections may be treated with debridement, resection of tendons, synovioscopy, joint lavage, arthrotomy and facilitated joint ankylosis. Postoperative care is more involved, lameness persists longer, and cost of treatment is higher after salvage techniques than after amputation of the digit. Luxations and fractures of the digits often are amenable to conservative treatment but may be treated surgically if indicated.
authors.affiliation: Farm Animal Department, Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: karl.nuss@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nuss
mesh_terms: D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D016523:Foot Ulcer / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000662:veterinary; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000601:surgery; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Amputation; Digits; Fractures; Infection; Injury; Lameness; Luxations; Resection