The Weight-bearing Apparatus of the Bovine Claw

Under modern production conditions, claw diseases have a in high incidence and are a severe problem in cattle practice. Therefore, the investigation of structure, form and function of the bovine claw as a prerequisite for understanding the pathogenesis of common claw diseases has gained great importance, but recent publications focus mainly on the cornifying epidermal layers of the claw. Nevertheless, the dermo-subcutaneous system also plays an important - but often neglected - key role in the normal and pathologically altered function of the claw. The aim of this study was a detailed investigation of the dermal and subcutaneous structures of the claw in order to detect structural modifications or functional adaptations. Special emphasis was laid on demonstrating the three-dimensional architecture of the connective tissue fibre system of the claw ...