Mechanical properties of the bovine claw horn during lactation

Claw horn disorders are one of the main causes of lameness in dairy cows globally. This study aimed to develop material testing techniques to assess changes in the mechanical properties of bovine claw horn (BCH) and to compare these mechanical properties with existing methods of assessing claw horn disorders during lactation. Lameness was also measured through locomotion scoring to assess the clinical significance of changes observed in the scoring for lesions. Experiment 1 used 8 claws collected from four 12 to 18 mo old beef heifers, to develop BCH sample storage methods and techniques to test the mechanical properties of BCH (puncture resistance and elastic modulus). The increase in the moisture content of BCH had a significant negative exponential effect on the elastic modulus of the sole and white line claw horn and a linear reduction in the puncture resistance of BCH. Placing BCH samples in sealed plastic bags and storing them either at 2°C or by freezing samples at -22°C did not alter the dry matter content and, consequently, the mechanical properties of the claw horn tissue. In experiment 2, BCH was collected from 36 lactating dairy cows and mechanical properties were tested using puncture resistance. Puncture resistance of the sole area of the claw horn decreased significantly when hemorrhages in the tested area increased. The puncture resistance of the sole and white line areas decreased at d 160 postpartum when the cows exhibited higher lesion scores and was lower in hind claws that had higher lesion scores when compared with the fore claws. The highest puncture resistance was found at 270 d postpartum, when the animals were at pasture. Puncture resistance was found to be an effective technique for assessing the effect of period of lactation and increasing hemorrhage levels on the mechanical properties and structural strength of bovine claw horn. It was found to be a good method of comparing changes and differences in mechanical properties and structural strength of BCH from the sole and white line areas within each claw and differences between claws. White line BCH consistently had significantly lower puncture resistance compared with the sole. Bovine claw horn with greater levels of hemorrhage or lower puncture resistance, or both, may provide less protection and increase the risk of foreign body penetration, trauma, and secondary infection of the corium of the claw.