It also forces blood back into the limbs as the animal walks. Digital Cushion – is situated inside the bulb and functions as an elastic shock absorber.It is an area that can be easily penetrated by foreign objects, particularly with faulty foot structure Its function is to separate sensitive tissue from non sensitive tissue. White Line – is a greyish area where the sole meets the hoof.Coffin Bone – sometimes called the pedal bone is suspended within the corium and when damaged or stressed causes severe lameness.Extreme concussion to the corium due to poor leg structure creates sensitivity, pain and lameness. Reduced quality leads to foot damage and lameness. The health of the corium establishes the quality of the hoof produced. Corium – sometimes called the 'guide or dermis" produces hoof horn (wall).It is here that lamitis is often first noticed. Periople – is the area where the skin meets the coronary band.Lamellae – there are hundreds of tiny ridges in the lower part of the inside wall which are attached by fibres to the coffin bone.When the animal moves, the cushion pumps blood through the foot and back into the body. Coronary Cushion – is a mass of elastic tissue and veins beneath the coronary band.Wall – is smooth and shiny and consists of a very tough tubular horn.Bulb – is the continuous with the coronary band and is composed of soft rubber horn.This is an area that can be easily penetrated by foreign objects particularly between the toes Coronary Band – is normally soft and shiny and grows at the rate of 5 millimetres per month.The anatomy of the foot (Figure 2) indicates the complexity of the structure and clearly demonstrates why structural faults and problems lead to foot damage and lameness. The sole should be somewhat concave with the majority of weight placed on the hoof wall. The conformation of the foot (Figure 2) should be short and steeply angled, high in the heel and even clawed. In order to fully understand lameness it is advantageous to become familiar with the anatomy of the foot and the basic structure of the legs, shoulder and hindquarter. "Foot problems compounded by poor leg structure cause lameness" Nevertheless, structural traits and problems are heritable and need to be fully considered when purchasing and breeding seed stock. Nutrition, environment, disease and genetic influences combine with management factors to predispose stock to lameness.įoot and leg conformation have less predictable heritability (0.8-0.16) than the measurable performance traits (eg mature weight 0.50). Lameness has a positive genetic correlation to reduced performanceįoot and leg problems can be a major herd problem due to reduced performance (weight gain and reproduction) resulting in lower productivity and increased economic losses.įigure 1 illustrates the four main groups of factors which can directly lead to lameness or which interact and subsequently intensify minor stimuli sufficiently to cause subacute or acute lameness.įIGURE 1: PREDISPOSING CAUSES OF LAMENESS Today's beef producers face many different management challenges including increased herd sizes and larger cattle which impact on herd health particularly leg and feet structure and lameness.
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