Stable feet before a night out: Bovine arthrodesis

Abstract

Lameness in cattle is one of the top causes of lost production in the United States. It affects milk production, feed and water intake, reproduction, daily gain, and animal wellbeing. While there is increasing information available in the literature de­scribing lameness in dairy cattle, comparatively very little is published on lameness in beef cattle. One of the most potential­ly debilitating causes of lameness is a septic distal interphalan­geal joint. When this occurs, an arthrodesis is a useful proce­dure to maintain the welfare and production of the bovine.