A study of the etiology and the impact of the treatment of the long bone fractures in cattle

In this study was to evaluate the etiology, incidence, classification, radiological findings, treatment and healing results of fractures in cattle referred to the Clinic of the Surgery, Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine between 01.07.2014 – 01.11.2015. The material of this study comprises 63 (%20, 90) fractured cattle out of 306 [38 (%60,31) Holstein, 18 (%28,57) Simmental, 4 (% 6,34) Montafon and 3 (%4,76) Eastern Anatolia Reddish]; 36 (%57,14) male, 27 (%42,85)female; aged 1 day – 6 years. Routine clinical and radiological examinations of calves were performed. Evaluation of the etiology revealed that fractures of 27 (%42,85) cattle had occurred during parturition due to forced and wrong applied aiding, while fractures of the remaining 36 (%57,15) cases were acquired after trauma in post partal period. Localization of the fractures were mostly encountered on the metacarpus (18 %28,57) followed by radius ulna (15 %23,81), femur (15 %23,81), metatarsus (5 %7,93),tibia (4 %6,35) humerus (4 %6,35), radius ulna metacarpus (1, %1,58) and coxae (1 %1,58)..Two of the fractures (metacarpus) were bilateral; the others (61) were unilateral. Nine of fractures (%14,28) were open, and 54 (%85,7) were close. Cattle were treated conservatively with a cast and plaster bandage 41 (%65,08) and/or operation 22 (%34,92). Follow-up showed that 29 (%46,03) cases healed, 21 (%33,33) cases were lame, 6 (%9,52) cases died, 5 (%7,93) cases refused treament and 2 (%3,17) send slaughterhouse. As a result, it was concluded that there was higher incidence of fractured calves brought to our clinic and, assistance during parturition, especially correct application of forced extraction, as well as separation of the newborns for the certain time from the adults has great relevance. Keywords: Cattle, fracture, treatment