{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T05:02:15Z","timestamp":1784869335704,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784851200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"\n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Lameness is a major welfare and economic concern in the dairy industry, yet lesions of the metapodial (canon bones) and phalanges remain relatively under-recognized compared with claw horn disorders. This study investigated the prevalence, radiographic characteristics, risk factors, and socio-economic impact of metapodial and phalangeal lameness in dairy cows.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n Over 12\u202fmonths, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,050 Holstein\u2013Friesian cows from three commercial farms with different flooring systems: concrete (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f300), earthen (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f350), and sand (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f400). Risk factors including age, body weight, flooring type, limb involvement, and concurrent diseases were evaluated, along with the effects on weight gain, fertility, and milk yield.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n 205 cows with clinical and radiographic evidence of metapodial and phalangeal lesions were identified. The overall prevalence of metapodial and phalangeal lesions was 19.52%. Flexural deformities (hyperflexion posture) were the most common lesion (29.27%), followed by exostosis (14.63%) and fractures (12.19%). Older cows (6\u20137\u202fyears) and heavier animals (500\u2013600\u202fkg) were significantly more affected (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.05). Concrete flooring was strongly associated with increased lesion risk. Lesions occurred predominantly in the hindlimbs, especially the left hindlimb, and were commonly associated with clinical lameness and pain. Metapodial and phalangeal lesions significantly reduced weight gain, reproductive performance, and milk yield.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n \n In conclusion, metapodial and phalangeal lesions represent a significant clinical burden (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f205\/1,050) of cows represent a permanent loss of biological and economic longevity for the dairy farm. We have demonstrated that skeletal involvement is not an occasional complication but a primary driver of the lameness complex in modern dairy production. Radiographic evaluation is recommended for accurate early-stage detection to mitigate the substantial socio-economic burden of bovine lameness.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2026.1831766","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T04:24:25Z","timestamp":1784867065000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Radiographic evaluation, risk factors, and socio-economic impact of metapodial and phalangeal lameness in dairy cows"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"El-Sayed","family":"El-Shafaey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Anaesthesiology and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura City","place":["Dakahlia, Egypt"]},{"name":"Department of Veterinary Surgery, Salam Veterinary Group","place":["Buraydah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yahia A.","family":"Amin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University","place":["Aswan, Egypt"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamed","family":"Tharwat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University","place":["Buraydah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamed A.","family":"Hamed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University","place":["Aswan, Egypt"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Khaled","family":"Abouelnasr","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Anaesthesiology and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura City","place":["Dakahlia, Egypt"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zakriya","family":"Al Mohamad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University","place":["Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamed","family":"Abdo Rizk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University","place":["Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmed M. A.","family":"Meligy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University","place":["Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yassir A.","family":"Almofti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University","place":["Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Saad","family":"Shousha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University","place":["Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mahmoud G.","family":"El Sebaei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University","place":["Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","first-page":"4","article-title":"Lameness in crossbred cows: prevalence, host level risk factors and reproductive performance","volume":"83","author":"Sood","year":"2013","journal-title":"Indian J Anim Sci"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6828","DOI":"10.3168\/jds.2016-10941","article-title":"Prevalence and distribution of foot lesions in dairy cattle in Alberta; Canada","volume":"99","author":"Solano","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Dairy Sci"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104773","DOI":"10.1016\/j.prevetmed.2019.104773","article-title":"Factors associated with lameness prevalence in lactating cows housed in freestall and compost-bedded pack dairy farms in southern Brazil","volume":"172","author":"Bran","year":"2019","journal-title":"Prev Vet Med"},{"key":"ref4","first-page":"36","article-title":"Associations between different degrees of lameness in early lactation and the fertility of dairy cows","volume":"71","author":"Olechnowicz","year":"2015","journal-title":"Med Weter"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cvfa.2017.02.008","article-title":"The impact of lameness on welfare of the dairy cow","volume":"33","author":"Whay","year":"2017","journal-title":"Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"206","DOI":"10.1016\/j.agsy.2018.09.006","article-title":"The impact of foot lesions in dairy cows on greenhouse gas emissions of milk production","volume":"167","author":"Mostert","year":"2018","journal-title":"Agric Syst"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6070","DOI":"10.3168\/jds.2013-6833","article-title":"Genetic parameters for claw disorders and the effect of preselecting cows for trimming","volume":"96","author":"van der Spek","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Dairy Sci"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.3390\/ani14010153","article-title":"Prevalence of painful lesions of the digits and risk factors associated with digital dermatitis, ulcers and White line disease on Swiss cattle farms","volume":"14","author":"F\u00fcrmann","year":"2024","journal-title":"Animals"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13807","DOI":"10.3168\/jds.2025-27109","article-title":"A history of lameness is associated with reduced proportions of collagen type I relative to type III in the digital cushions of dairy cattle","volume":"108","author":"Wilson","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Dairy Sci"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e70011","DOI":"10.1002\/vrc2.7001","article-title":"Chronic pain management in a dairy cow with deep digital sepsis","volume":"13","author":"Laschinger","year":"2025","journal-title":"Vet Rec Case Rep"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.11648\/j.avs.20130104.11","article-title":"A post-mortem qualitative radiographic study of the foot with special reference to the digital lesions in culling lame cows","volume":"1","author":"Nouri","year":"2013","journal-title":"Anim Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"300","DOI":"10.22099\/IJVR.2014.2545","article-title":"Conservative management with external coaptation technique for treatment of a severely comminuted fracture of the proximal phalanx in a Holstein-Friesian cow","volume":"15","author":"El-Shafaey","year":"2014","journal-title":"IJVR"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1024\/0036-7281\/a000553","article-title":"Lameness and foot lesions in Swiss dairy cows: I. 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