Unusual Bone Healing in a White-tailed Deer

Two sequential fractures in the left hind leg of a deer and their treatments are described. The first, a tibial fracture was treated using an intramedullary pin with full cerclage wires supported by a plaster cast. This fracture healed uneventfully. A subsequent second fracture involving the distal metatarsus was stabilized by external fixation. This fracture healed with the formation of a periosteal involucrumlike structure which encased the full length of the metatarsal bone. This involucrum was thought to be due to a sub-periosteal hematoma.     

Intramedullary Spinal Glioblastoma in a Cat, Presented as a Cauda equina Syndrome

A ten year old castrated male domestic short haired cat, was presented with clinical signs related to the cauda equina. The results of the neurological examination, diagnostic procedures, and clinical course are presented. At necropsy a glioblastoma of the caudal spinal cord was present. The difficulties in distinguishing between neoplasms arising in the cauda equina and the caudal spinal cord are discussed. A comparative discussion of the cauda equina syndrome is presented.     

Disseminated Osteomyelitis Caused by Clostridium novyi in a Cat

The history, clinical signs, laboratory and radiological findings of a cat with polyostotic osteomyelitis are described. A disseminated periosteal reaction involving the femur, humerus and tibia bilaterally was evident on radiographs. The joints were not affected. Diagnosis of osteomyelitis was confirmed by bone marrow aspiration and bone biopsy. Clostridium novyi was cultured from the bone marrow.     

Technical note: the United States Department of Agriculture beef yield grade equation requires modification to reflect the current longissimus muscle area to hot carcass weight relationship

With the adoption of visual instrument grading, the calculated yield grade can be used for payment to cattle producers selling on grid pricing systems. The USDA beef carcass grading standards include a relationship between required LM area (LMA) and HCW that is an important component of the final yield grade. As noted on a USDA yield grade LMA grid, a 272-kg (600-lb) carcass requires a 71-cm(2) (11.0-in.(2)) LMA and a 454-kg (1,000-lb) carcass requires a 102-cm(2) (15.8-in.(2)) LMA. This is a linear relationship, where required LMA = 0.171(HCW) + 24.526. If a beef carcass has a larger LMA than required, the calculated yield grade is lowered, whereas a smaller LMA than required increases the calculated yield grade. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the LMA to HCW relationship against data on 434,381 beef carcasses in the West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) Beef Carcass Research Center database. In contrast to the USDA relationship, our data indicate a quadratic relationship [WTAMU LMA = 33.585 + 0.17729(HCW) -0.0000863(HCW(2))] between LMA and HCW whereby, on average, a 272-kg carcass has a 75-cm(2) (11.6-in.(2)) LMA and a 454-kg carcass has a 96-cm(2) (14.9-in.(2)) LMA, indicating a different slope and different intercept than those in the USDA grading standards. These data indicate that the USDA calculated yield grade equation favors carcasses lighter than 363 kg (800 lb) for having above average muscling and penalizes carcasses heavier than 363 kg (800 lb) for having below average muscling. If carcass weights continue to increase, we are likely to observe greater proportions of yield grade 4 and 5 carcasses because of the measurement bias that currently exists in the USDA yield grade equation.