2. Anatomy
•The musculoskeletal system consists of muscles & their attachments, bones
& joints.
Physiology
•This system has an important role for movement gait, posture & locomotion
as well as respiration, mastication, urination, and defecation protection certain
vital organs.
Locomotor disorders & Lameness
•They may be involved in many diseases of musculoskeletal system (Bones,
muscles, tendons & ligaments) nervous system &even blood vascular system.
3.
4.
5. Clinical approach of
musculoskeletal system
[1] History
(1) Numbers of animals showing
similar condition.
(2) Age (e.g Rickets in young,
osteomalacia in adult).
(3) Relation with pregnancy or
production.
(4) Relation with unhygienic ground
condition.
(5) History of transportation, trauma,
injury or accident.
(6) Injury, fracture or lameness due to
overcrowding & or floor soiled with
urine, feces, mud & water.
(7) Duration of illness.
(8) History of gait, posture,
movement, lameness.
(9) History of diets as:
1) Copper deficient diet inhabit
osteoblast activity
2) High magnesium & low calcium
cause poor bone growth.
3) Low magnesium produces muscle
incoordination poor bone
development.
4) Low zinc causes poor ostoblastic
activity & osteopenia.
5) Low vitamin A level impairs
osteoblastic activity& fragile bone
6) Low Vitamin D level may bring
rickets.
7) Low protein level may reduce
osteoid formation.
6.
7.
8. (9) History of diets as:
1) Copper deficient diet inhabit
osteoblast activity
2) High magnesium & low calcium
cause poor bone growth.
3) Low magnesium produces muscle
incoordination poor bone development.
4) Low zinc causes poor ostoblastic
activity & osteopenia.
5) Low vitamin A level impairs
osteoblastic activity& fragile bone
6) Low Vitamin D level may bring
rickets.
7) Low protein level may reduce
osteoid formation.
9. [2] Inspection
(A) Posture
It is the state of animal during standing or recumbence.
Abnormal posture may include:
(1) Cow sits on sternum, head rest on flank: occurs in case of
milk fever.
(2) Sheep or goat lies in frog-like posture: occurs in case of
parturient hypocalcemia.
(3) A calf in lateral recumbency with head hold in opisthotonus
along with tonic clonic contraction of limbs: occurs in case of
hypomagnesemic tetany.
(4) A cow keeping on the carpal joints & unable to stand: in case
of calcinosis condition of nutritional origin.
(5) A horse shifting its weights from one limb to other limb
continuously: in Laminitis, osteodystrophia fibrosa.
10. Lateral view of spinal conformation and
postural assessment.
11. (6) A cow stands with crossing of forelimbs: occurs in
cases of ketosis, painfull fracture of third phalanx.
(7) A cow in sternal recumbency with hindlimbs extended
behind (frog like posture): in bilateral hip dysplasia.
(8) Abnormal twist in neck (torticollis): in cervical vertebrae,
muscles, tendon or nerves.
(9) A goat may hold its head in upward direction as i f
looking at the sky (star grazing posture): occurs in case of
thiamine deficiency, Gid, polyencephalomalacia.
(10) A horse standing with its hind legs drawn forward
under the abdomen & fore feet to front: in case of laminitis.
(11) A kid or lamb unable to extend the knee due to
swelling of the carpal joint: occurs in case of infective
arthritis.
12.
13. (B) Gait
It is the rate, range, force & direction of animal during walking. Abnormal
gait may include:
(1) Enzootic ataxia, sway back: occurs in hypocuprosis
(2) Stiff gait with incoordination: occur in cases of azoturia.
(3) Stiff gait accompanied with pain: occurs in cases of rheumatism,
polyartheritis, myositis & neuritis.
(4) Stiff painful gait with septicemia: in calf black quarter.
(5) Painful limb movement & disinclination to move: occur in cases of
laminitis, foot rot & pododermitis.
(6) Knuckling of fetlock: in neuritis or nerve paralysis.
(7) Lameness may be graded during walking as follows:
1) Mild (lameness is almost undetectable).
2) Moderate.
3) Pronounced.
4) Severe.
5) Highly severe in which the animal is incapable to lift the Lame lamb &
carry it forward. For this, it has to walk practically on three legs.
14.
15. [3] Local examination
1)Using palpation
2)pressure test,
3)percussion, probang & compression to
determine pain,
4)swelling, thermal response (hot or cold),
5)crepitation, mobility & movement of
limbs & joints.
2) Deformities
3) Pain test for evidence of paralysis or
inflammation.
16. Special examination of musculoskeletal
system
(1) Radiography: for diagnosis the diseases of bones, joints &
soft tissue swelling of limbs.
(2) Muscle biopsy: for microscopic & histochemical evaluations.
(3) Arthroscopy: using special endoscope for visceral inspection
of joint cavity & articular surface.
(4) Arthrocentensis: collection of joint fluid for cellular,
biochemical & inflammatory conditions.
(5) Ultrasonography: for soft tissue examination.
(6) Electromyography: to detect the activity of muscle & nerve.
(7) Clinical pathology: for synovia, blood, urine, tissue specially
serum level of
Ca: P & vitamin D for bon diseases; Creatine phosphokinase
(CPK), Aspartate Amino-transferase (AST) & Alkaline
phosphatase enzyme for muscle diseas
17. Nutritional data including:
1) Amount.
2) Analysis of ration.
3) Ratio of one nutrient to another in diet.
Some tests of the pecial examination of
musculoskeletal system
(A)Passive movements of limbs to identify
1) Fracture
2) Dislocations
3) Pain
(B) Palpation of muscles for evidence of
1) Enlargement
2) Atrophy
3) Pain test for evidence of paralysis or inflammation.
18.
19.
20. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
They can be classified according to their nature as
diseases of:
(1) Muscles
1) Degenerative diseases as myopathy
2) Inflammatory diseases as myositis
(2) Bones
1) Degenerative diseases as osteodystrophy
2) Inflammatory diseases as osteomyelitis
21. (3) Joints
1) Degenerative diseases as arthropathy
2) Inflammatory diseases as arthritis
(4) Feet
1) Lameness of nerve paralysis.
2) Lameness of miscellaneous neuromuscular
diseases.
3) Lameness of iatrogenic origin.
22. Diseases of muscles
Myopathy
It is a non-inflammatory degeneration of skeletal muscles.
Etiology
(1) Nutritional myopathy in young animals: Including acute
or subacute enzootic muscular dystrophy. It caused by
deficiency in dietary selenium, sulphur containing amino
acids & vitamin E.
(2) Myopathy in older animals:
1) Muscular dystrophy (Paralytic myoglobinuria) of cattle.
It occurs in cattle up to two years of age with history of
increased exercise in a heavy fed & well-muscled animals.
It caused by vitamin E & selenium deficiency.
23.
24. 3) Myoglobinuria (Post exercise or exertional
rhabdomylois, equine paralytic myoglobinuria, tying up
syndrome, azoturia & Monday morning disease). It occurs
in equines with heavy musculature, irregular exercise, high
grain diet & a nervous disposition.
4) Ischemic myopathies: It occurs in downer cow syndrome
as the recumbency for more than a day in one position may
produce compression of blood vessels. This will produce
tissue anoxia, cellular damage, inflammation, cell death &
muscle degeneration.
NB: Myopathy in metabolic disorder characterized by acute
onset, occur rapidly & response to treatment rapidly.
NB: Myopathy in nutritional deficiency is gradual case,
occur gradual & gradual response.
25.
26. Clinical findings
It depends on the main causes. It may be:
(1) Weakness of muscles, muscles are swollen, hard &painful which may be
degenerated & atrophy.
(2) Abnormalities in gait, inability to rise or walk. Stiffness of joints & lameness.
(3) Animal may become paretic or recumbent & unable to rise (downer cow
syndrome).
(4) Urine may become coffee color.
(5) Edema of head & neck
(6) Increase heart rate, later on sudden death due to heart failure.
Clinical pathology
(1) Increase CPK, Normal is 1000-5000 Iu in Lamb,
calf & foal, Increased up to 5000-1000 IU), SGOT &
alkaline phosphates enzyme.
(2) Other findings according to the causative
agents.
27. Line of treatment
(1) Complete rest of animal if possible.
(2) Try to remove & treat the real cause.
(3) Soft bedding, good care & periodic rolling of animal.
(4) Antacids.
(5) Fluid therapy, vitamin E, tri p and selenium.
(6) Anti-inflammatory drugs as Dexa-Tomanal: (20-40ml) IV
for hourse or IM for cattle (20-30ml) & calf (4-10 ml) or
Curazolidine: (15-30ml) deeply IM for large animals; (5- 10)
for small animal.
28. Myositis
It is the inflammation of muscle fibers. Myositis is either:
(1) Acute inflammation with muscle swelling & pain as well
as fever & toxemia in severe case.
(2) Chronic inflammation manifested by muscular atrophy
as well as joint & limb contractor.
Types of myositis
(1)Traumatic myositis
(2)Rheumatic myositis (Muscular rheumatism)
(3)Myositis in specific diseases
