Swine

Testing the Feasibility of Injecting Joints in Sows for Therapy

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Abstract

Lameness is one of the leading reasons for culling sows in many commercial swine production systems. Current research is being done on a chemically induced, transient lameness model in sows (Karriker et al, 2009). The lameness model allows comparisons to be made about gait and posture of the same sow; when a sow is sound versus when the same sow is lame. The lameness model has lacked the ability to study more than the distal interphalangeal joint. Therefore, the objective of this study was to (1) select proper needle size and estimate joint volume and (2) determine possible joint candidates for future incorporation into the lameness model and administration of future therapies. Fourteen clinically normal, mixed-parity crossbred sows were purchased from a commercial producer in Iowa and housed individual pens at Iowa State University. Fourteen front and fourteen rear sow legs were obtained post-mortem for injection of various joints. Of the twenty eight post-mortem legs, one front and one back leg were used to examine anatomy, estimate joint volume, select proper needle size, and practice injecting. Results are expressed as a percentage of success. The results conclude that the joints with greater success rates are potential candidates for incorporation into the lameness model. For that reason, the elbow and tarsocrural (hock) joints would not be good candidates for further research. Therefore it is beneficial to utilize the medial and lateral metacarpophalangeal/ metatarsophalangeal joints in the chemically induced, transient lameness model.

Keywords: ASL R2630

How to Cite:

McGargill, C., Karriker, L. A., LeKander, J. M., Salazar, M. M., Johnson, A. K., Stalder, K. J. & Coetzee, J., (2011) “Testing the Feasibility of Injecting Joints in Sows for Therapy”, Iowa State University Animal Industry Report 8(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/ans_air-180814-868