Radiographic morphometry of distal bones in buffaloes of different age groups

The present study was conducted on 30 clinical cases which were presented for diagnosis and treatment of minor medicinal problems. The animals selected for this study were divided into three groups depending on their age, body weight and height. Group A included animals between 1.5 and 3 yr of age; group B: 4 to 6 years and group C included animals of more than 6 yr. Dorso-palmar/dorsoplantar radiographs of both fore and hind limbs were taken using 60–70 kVp and 5 mAs with FFD of 90 cm in all the animals irrespective of the group. Mean length of metacarpus and metatarsus of animals of group A, B and C was 19.36±0.06 cm, 19.90±0.20 cm and 20.50±0.16 cm, respectively and 22.21±0.17 cm, 22.77±0.15 cm and 24.25±0.10 cm, respectively. Mean diameter of metacarpus and metatarsus of group A, B and C was 3.13±0.03 cm, 3.98±0.07 cm, 4.29±0.02 cm and 3.01±0.02 cm, 3.41±0.06 cm, 3.62±0.08 cm, respectively. The diameter of metacarpus was significantly larger than that of metatarsus of buffaloes of all age groups. The length of metacarpus, metatarsus, P1, P2, P3 of hind limbs were more than that of fore limbs in the animals of all three groups while diameters of metacarpus, metatarsus, P1, P2, P3 of fore limbs were more than that of hind limbs. Significant increase in the diameter of all the bones was noticed with advancing age with maximum diameter in group C followed by group B and A. However, C/D ratio were found to be maximum in the animals of group B, followed by group C and group A.