Utilising Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Visualise Bovine Distal Limb Anatomy

Introduction 
Previous work has shown that lameness in dairy cattle is associated with the development of permanent pathological change to distal limb anatomy (Newsome et al., 2016). It has been suggested that these changes occur as a result of inflammation associated with the development of claw horn disruption lesions (CHDLs) (Newsome et al 2016). The consequence of these pathological changes may include higher risk of future lameness events, increased chronicity of impaired mobility and associated reductions in milk yield. Randall et al (2018) reported that approximately 80% of lameness events can be attributed to previous lameness events, highlighting that these pathological changes may contribute greatly towards overall lameness levels in dairy herds. 

Knowledge of pathological changes associated with lameness appears to be important for lameness prevention, however, the understanding of the force dissipating region of the foot is still poorly understood, particularly with respect to responses to inflammation associated with lameness events. This study aims to characterize the digital cushion with the use of magnetic resonance imaging and to investigate how lameness affects the soft tissue in this vital region. […]