[Severe lameness in cattle is associated with severe orthopaedic disorders and a poor prognosis]

Lameness grading in cattle facilitates the diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders and provides information regarding the disease severity in terms of animal welfare and transportability of the animal. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between the degree of lameness and the severity of musculoskeletal disorders in cattle. The degree of lameness in 545 cattle with different orthopaedic disorders was analysed retrospectively. The categories age, type of lameness, anatomical localisation of the lesions, involvement of soft tissues, bones, joints, and other synovial structures, severity of infection, and claw involvement were generated. The categories were correlated with the degree of lameness, and both were correlated with the prognosis. Calves were more severely lame than older cattle (4/5 versus 3/5). Lameness originating from lesions at the carpus and tarsus or distally from these areas mostly led to supporting-leg lameness (87,5 % and 85,7 % or 95,7 %). Diseases localised proximal to the carpal and tarsal joints caused mixed lameness in 81,3 % of cases and supporting-leg lameness in 12,5 %; swinging-leg lameness was rare (6,3 %) The median degree of mixed lameness (3,5/5) exceeded that of supporting-leg lameness (3/5). Cattle with stifle (3,5/5) or elbow disorders (4/5) had significantly higher degrees of lameness compared with cattle with lameness attributable to other causes. Likewise, lameness caused by joint disease (3,5/5) was generally more severe than lameness caused by other disorders. Superficially infected musculoskeletal disorders and uncomplicated claw diseases were associated with milder lameness (both 3/5) than those with deep infection and complicated claw disorders (3/5 and 3,5/5). Cattle that recovered and were discharged had less severe lameness (2,5/5) than those that were slaughtered (3/5), and the latter had less severe lameness than those that were euthanised (3,5/5). The correlation between the severity of an orthopaedic disorder and the degree of lameness in cattle is consistent with clinical experience. This investigation allowed us to substantiate several relationships between the investigated variables and the degree of lameness. Our findings allowed the severity of a musculoskeletal disorder to be tentatively diagnosed and the affected anatomical structure to be identified based on the degree and type of lameness. This, in turn, may improve diagnostic capability and formulation of the prognosis, as well as the assessment of the fitness for transport of cattle with orthopaedic disorders.