BILATERAL TENDON CONTRACTURE IN CATTLE

Flexural deformities in calves are characterized by relative shortening of tendon structures in relation to bone development, resulting in varying degrees of joint flexion. They can be congenital or acquired, most frequently in the thoracic limbs, mainly affecting the carpian, metacarpophalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints. A 2-month-old male Nellore cattle weighing approximately 70 kg with bilateral contracture of the thoracic limbs since birth was treated. In view of the severity of the condition, tenotomy associated with the use of PVC splints was indicated as a therapeutic measure, aiming at the functional realignment of the limbs and the improvement of the locomotor prognosis. Despite the surgical correction associated with immobilization, the animal developed secondary injuries and did not present satisfactory evolution, leading to the decision for euthanasia. It is concluded that therapeutic success depends directly on early diagnosis and immediate intervention, and the best results are observed when treatment is instituted in the first days of life.