Objective: In this study effects of three types of beddings on broiler leg health and bone biomechanics were evaluated.Methods: A total of 504 male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly placed on three beddings (4 replicates/group; 42 birds/pen), zeolite-added litter (ZL), plastic-grid flooring (PF), and wood shavings (WS). On day 42, chickens were weighed, slaughtered, and samples (bone, muscle, and drumstick) were collected. Bones were subjected to leg health tests, morphometric measurements, biomechanical testing, and ash analysis.Results: Broilers in PF and WS groups showed higher live weight than the ZL group (p<0.001), and the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) and varus valgus deformity due to distal bending was significantly higher in PF (p<0.001). Multinomial logistic regression showed that bedding has a significant (p = 0.038) contribution toward the development of TD. Tibial strength (p = 0.040), drumstick width (p = 0.001), and total femur and epiphyseal ash contents (p = 0.044, 0.016) were higher in the ZL group. Chicken live weight was correlated with tibial length and weight (r = 0.762, 0.725).Conclusion: Flooring and the type of bedding material directly affect broiler bone length, strength and leg health. Plastic bedding improves the slaughter weight of chickens on the expense of leg deformities, and zeolite litter improves leg health and bone strength.

Background: There are studies on the use of oblique plate over epiphyses for rotational deformities but the effects of this method on bone are not yet known. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect and rebound effect of rotational-guided growth on the geometries of the tibial plateaus and menisci in a rabbit model of tibial axial rotation. Methods: Thirty male rabbits were 6 weeks old when medial and lateral plates were applied to the proximal tibias of the left side. After 4 weeks, 15 rabbits were euthanized (group 1), and the plates from the tibias of the remaining 15 rabbits (group 2) were removed. The rabbits in group 2 were euthanized 4 weeks later. Results: In the rabbits of group 1, the most striking differences were a decrease in the lateral tibial slope (from 28.3 to 10.8 degrees) and decrease in the ratio of the lateral plateau covered by the meniscus (from 71.9% to 61.3%). After removing the plates (group 2), the observed values of the rebound effects were 25.9 and 29.8 degrees for the lateral tibial slope, and 76.5% and 77.2% for the ratio of the lateral plateau covered by the meniscus. However, the meniscal geometries continued to change. Conclusions: The rotational-guided growth provided by using plates caused a change in the tibial plateau geometry, and the rebound effect, except in the meniscal geometry, was observed after removing the plates in the growing period of the rabbits. Rotational-guided growth for the restoration of tibial axial rotation deformities may be suggested after determining the clinical effects of the increasing meniscal variables. Level of Evidence: Clinical relevance: the rotational-guided growth needs close follow-up because of possible changes in anatomy of the bone.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the bone mineral density, as well as the biomechanic and morphometric changes in the femur of ovariectomised rabbits. Twenty-four six-month-old New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into an ovariectomy (n = 12) and a sham (n = 12) group. Six rabbits in each group were euthanatized at eight and 16 weeks after surgery, and the femora were resected. The morphometric data were obtained from tomographic images. Periosteal and endosteal diameters and cortical thickness were measured. Total cross-sectional, cortical and medullary areas were also measured. The bone mineral content, the bone area and the bone mineral density were measured from the proximal, distal and mid-shaft of the femur as well as the total femur by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Employing the three-point bending method, the ultimate force, stiffness and work-to-failure were measured. The mechanical data were normalised to obtain intrinsic biomechanical properties such as ultimate stress, elastic modulus, and toughness, all of which are independent of size and shape. The results indicated that the femur was both larger and weaker 16 weeks after surgery in the ovariectomised group. Results also suggest that the rabbit might be a useful animal model for investigation of diseases related to oestrogen loss such as human postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, additional studies with advanced techniques at several time points via in vivo animal studies, and precision and predictability analyses should be designed to standardise the rabbit as a model for osteoporosis.

Objectives We evaluated whether differences exist among the canal flare index (CFI) values obtained by different calculation methods in the veterinary literature. Study Design The endosteal widths were measured from radiographic images of canine cadaveric femora. Three different formulae were used to calculate the CFI. The CFI_LT-M was the ratio of endosteal width at the medial aspect of the lesser trochanter (LT) to the midshaft (M), while the CFI_LT-I was the ratio of LT to the isthmus (I). The CFI_PLT-I was the ratio of endosteal width at the proximal aspect of the lesser trochanter (PLT) and the I. The widths at each level and the CFI calculation methods were compared. Using Rashmir–Raven's method, the femora were typed as stovepipe, normal and champagne fluted. The limits of agreement were also evaluated. Results The endosteal width at the proximal aspect of the lesser trochanter was 12% wider than at the medial aspect and 8% wider at the midshaft than at the isthmus. The CFI_LT-M was less than CFI_LT-I and CFI_PLT-I by 9 and 20%, respectively. By Rashmir–Raven's classification, the CFI_LT-M method provided 18% stovepipe, 79% normal and 3% champagne fluted femora. The CFI_LT-I method showed the stovepipe, the normal and the champagne fluted as 6, 82 and 12%, respectively. The CFI_PLT-I method classified the femora either normal (55%) or champagne fluted (45%). The comparison of CFI_LT-M with the other methods using Bland–Altman analysis showed lower mean difference for the CFI_LT-I than the CFI_PLT-I. Conclusion The level of width measurements at proximal femora might have an impact on the CFI values, likewise, preoperative planning procedures and the selection of a stem type in total hip arthroplasty. All authors contributed to conception of study, study design, acquisition of data and data analysis and interpretation. Both authors drafted, revised and approved the submitted manuscript.

The poultry industry is considered potent for the economy of any country because chicken production is an important food source now-a-days. However, skeletal abnormalities are one of the major contributing factors to production loss. For decades researchers are trying to make contributions for the diagnosis of these problems effectively and are giving suggestions for the improvement in their skeletal deficiencies. Bone structural and metabolic disturbances (like tibial dyschondroplasia, osteoporosis and osteoarthrosis) are common in broiler chickens and have emerged in past few years. Due to fast growth and high leg to body weight ratio bone suffers excessive stress and loses the strength. Such conditions are manifested with a tendency for fracture. Understanding of bone quality provides deep information of the mechanical and functional aspects of bone tissues. The measurements of the bone strength can be performed with some methods, like the geometrical indices, radiographic or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric density measurements, ash content measurements or the assays of bone turnover biomarkers. But biomechanical tests are the core diagnostic tools that can measure bone health parameters with reliable indicators. In this review, an overview of the mechanical tests used to test bone quality has been given and the effectiveness of such methods is discussed using different bones of poultry birds. Knowing the basic concepts on biomechanical tests applied in poultry bones and comparing the results to identify suitable testing methods may input improvement in the dialogue between the researchers interested in the assessment of bone strength at both structural and pathophysiological levels.