Anatomy of hoof

Presented to: Dr.Zeeshan AkbarPresented By: PMAS FAISAL SHAHZAD 14-

arid-2022

HOOF The horny part of the foot of an ungulate

animal OR The horny sheath covering the toes or lower part of the foot of a mammal

The wall of the hoof is horn tissue produced by the horn bud cells around the coronary band (the junction of the skin and the wall of the hoof).

The horn grows downward as the wall wears away during walking.

The weight of the goat falls on the wall of the hoof

ANATOMYCattle, sheep, goats, and pigs are cloven-

footed animals, meaning that the hoof consists of two digits, instead of one solid entity like that of a horse

The two digits are analogous to the third and fourth fingers of the human hand.

The claws are named by their relative location on the foot.

ANATOMYThere is the outer, or lateral claw, and the inner,

or medial claw. In cattle, the lateral claw is slightly larger in the back feet, while the medial claw is the larger claw in the front feet.

The space between the two claws s called the interdigital clef; the area of skin is called the interdigital skin.

The different surfaces of the claws are named according to their relative position to the interdigital cleft: the abaxial surface is the outer wall of each claw, and the axial surface is the inner wall.

HORNThe horn is a hard surface, structurally

similar to the human fingernail functionally like the epidermis of the skin.

The cells that form the horn are produced by the tissue directly beneath the hoof wall, called the corium, at the hoof head.

The corium is a nutrient-rich tissue that contains many

SOLEThe sole is the area inside the white line,

but not including the bars and frog. It’s primary function is to protect the

sensitive structures beneath the sole. The outer perimeter of sole also provides

support, sharing some of the weight

WHITE LINECommonly referred to as the white line,

The purpose of the Golden Line is to join the sole to the inner wall of the hoof and to seal off the border of the pedal bone to protect it from bacterial infiltration.

It creates a shallow crease at the bottom of the hoof which fills with dirt, aiding with traction

INNER WALL The inner hoof wall is usually white (unlike

the outer wall, it does not contain pigment). It is morepliable than

the outer wall due to the higher ratio of intertubular horn which bind the tubules together.

This intertubular horn has a higher moisture content and enables the innerwall to stretch more as the outer wall moves, ensuring the inner workings of the hoof are

protected from too much shock.

OUTER WALLThe outer hoof wall is pigmented and contains a higher

ratio of tubules. These tube-like structures grow down from the coronary

band in a spiral configuration.It has been suggested that this makes them act like tiny

springs, but this cannot happen as there is no space between the coils. It is more likely that the tubules are grown this way to add strength.

The primary purpose of the outer wall is to store and release energy during the different phases of the stride.

It also provides protection from the structures within, regulating ingress and egress of moisture .A healthy outer wall will be slightly thicker at the toe and have no growth rings or cracks.

FROGThe frog is the triangular mass that lies between the bars

of the foot at the heels. It is almost 50% water, and therefore is quite soft and

pliable. The point of the frog is called the apex, the grooves along the sides are the sulci and the depression along the bottom surface is called the central sulcus or cleft.

Another function of the frog is to expand and contract the heels of the foot as it moves. If the frog is not sufficient to perform this job, contracted heels may develop. It should only be pared out if the tissue is diseased or infected - for example, when thrush occurs. The frog will shed itself twice a year; other than those times, the healthy tissue should be left natural.

BARThe bar is an extension of the hoof wall

which runs along the side of the frog, terminating approximately half way along the frog.

Its primary purpose is to control the movement of the back of the hoof, adding strength to the heel area and protecting it from excess distortion. It should have a high ratio of pliable inner wall to ensure it can move correctly as the heel moves.

COLLATERAL GROOVE

This is the groove that runs along either side of the frog. The outer wall of the groove is made up of the wall of the bar and sole and the wall on the other side comprises the wall of the frog.

BONES OF HOOFThere are three bones within the foot:

The second phalanx (short pastern)third phalanx (coffin bone) Navicular bone. The coffin bone sits mainly at the front of the foot

and slightly to the outside. It is the largest bone in the foot and appears hoof-shaped.

Just above it and connecting at the coffin joint is the short pastern, a bone that is partly inside the hoof and partly above the coronary band.

The navicular bone is the smallest bone in the foot, lying behind the coffin joint, where the deep digital flexor tendon runs

CORONARY BANDThis is a very tough, vascular structure

which sit sat the top of the hoof wall. It has two very important functions.

Firstly it produces the tubules of the outer hoof wall.

Secondly, it is incredibly strong and acts as a band of support to add strength to the internal structures as the hoof distorts during the stride

PERIOPLEThis is a protective covering for the area of

newly formed hoof wall just below the coronary band

In the early stages, this horn material is quite soft - deliberately so because it helps to prevent the coronary band being bruised by shock being transferred upwards through the hoof wall during the weight bearing phase of the stride.

The periople covers this horn to provide protection.

VENOUS PLEXUSESThe hoof is heavily supplied with blood via five

venous plexuses. These are:Solar - nourishing the horn producing corium that

generates the soleDigital cushion - a network of blood vessels which run

through the digital cushionLateral cartilage - supplying the cartilages with blood

which helps with energy utilisationLamellae - nourishing the corium which produces the

intertubular horn of the hoof wallCoronary - supplying the coronary band with the

nutrients it needs to produce the tubules of the hoof wall