Zur mikroskopischen Anatomie der Epidermis an der Schweineklaue

To gain a basis for diagnosing the frequent pathological changes of the porcine hoof, the fine structure of normal hoofs taken from landrace pigs was examined with the light microscope, the polarizing microscope and the electron microscope. The hoofs were taken mostly from 6 to 7 month-old slaughtered pigs, but also from younger animals, beginning at birth. The hoofs destined for light microscopical study were not softened before frozen sections were made; these sections were stained while floating on the stain. The hoof horn of the pig consists of mostly flat cells which are shaped like pancakes. The horn tubules often have oval cross sections and do not present a distinct boundary with the adjacent intertubular horn. The harder horn of the hoof has more horn tubules per mm² than the softer horn.