Field technique for the resection of the distal interphalangeal joint and proximal resection of the deep digital flexor tendon in cows

Abstract

A modified technique for the resection of the distal interphalangeal joint and the proximal resection of the deep digital flexor tendon in cows is described. Septic arthritis of the joint was diagnosed in eight Holstein cows and treated in the field. Four of the cows were diagnosed with ascending tendonitis during the resection of the joint and their tendons were also resected. All the animals remained moderately to severely lame for two weeks postoperatively but quickly recovered and were sound within five months. Eight months after the last surgery only one cow had been culled, 321 days after its surgery, for reproductive failure. The other seven cows had survived for a mean period of 308 days, with a range from 235 to 392 days.