[Fractures of the scapula in pigs intended for slaughter (author's transl)]

Fractures may be observed in the scapulae of those pigs intended for slaughter, which have undergone electrical stunning. These fractures may be classified into three types. That type in which the fracture is localized in the glenoid cavity is the most injurious one as it is accompanied by haemorrhage and therefore will result in loss of meat. This is liable to cause injuries to the employees engaged in boning out. It was concluded from an inquiry as well as from experimental exposure to stress that fractures of the shoulder are due to the marked tonic contractions of mainly antagonistic muscles, resulting in excessive strain on the shoulder blade and its joints. It is a striking fact that fractures of the shoulder were not observed in pigs stunned electrically while they were in a restraining apparatus.