Further studies on knee ligament failure in broiler breeding fowls

A group of 88, predominantly male, broiler breeding fowls was examined and, in 38, knee ligament failure was identified. All birds were aged between 15 and 60 weeks when examined. Although derangement of the caudal cruciate ligament was the most frequent finding (25 birds), partial or total rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament was also identified (10 birds). Medial (10 birds) and lateral (5 birds) collateral ligament failure was also noted. Knee ligament failure may, in part, be age related. The most frequent concomitant finding in individual birds was tendon or ligament failure elsewhere in the same skeleton. It can therefore be assumed that male broiler breeding fowls are predisposed to ligament and tendon failure and a high proportion will have lesions at more than one skeletal site.