Review on the hepatic osteodystrophy in poultry: From pathogenesis to management implications

Bone health is crucial for both animal welfare and economic benefits in the poultry industry, particularly in broiler production. Intensive genetic selection for rapid growth and high productivity has contributed to prevalent bone abnormalities in broiler chickens, resulting in compromised meat quality and serious economic losses. Emerging evidence indicates that broiler leg disorders are frequently associated with hepatic pathologies, such as fatty liver or impaired liver function, highlighting the pivotal role of liver health in bone metabolism. As the central metabolic organ, the liver synthesizes critical factors including vitamin D, insulin-like growth factor-1, and bone morphogenetic proteins, which directly regulate calcium-phosphorus homeostasis, bone formation, and inflammatory responses. Therefore, this review examines the risk factors impacting the physioligy of bone and liver health in broilers, including genetic selection, nutritional imbalance, toxin exposure, pathogen infections, and heat stress. Furthermore, it explores the key mechanisms of bone damage induced by liver dysfunction, such as vitamin D metabolism, altered protein and cytokine synthesis, lipid metabolism disorders, and toxin accumulation. Corresponding detection and prevention strategies are also discussed. The aim is to highlight new management implications for improving the bone health of poultry from the perspective of liver protection.