Vol. 10, Issue 6, Part D (2025)

Author(s): Sontakke AS, MG Thorat, RV Raulkar, FA Fani, SS Yelmule, SR Chavan and Meenu PM

Abstract: A total of 21 calves presenting with joint issues were screened for the presence of knuckling. Out of these, 16 calves that met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group I calves underwent Z-tenotomy alone, while Group II calves received Z-tenotomy combined with a single Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injection at the tendon site during surgery. Among the 16 selected calves, 14 (87.5%) exhibited bilateral tendon contracture, while 2 (12.5%) had unilateral involvement. Moreover, 9 (56.25%) calves were male, and 7 (43.75%) were female. All calves in Group II achieved full weight-bearing status and were essentially free of lameness by day 14. In contrast, calves in Group I reached full weight-bearing ability after 14 post-operative day, except for case number 8. The PRP injection significantly accelerated healing, enhanced tendon strength, reduced pain and swelling, and lowered the risk of infection. Furthermore, deficiencies in zinc and Vitamin D3 were identified as contributing factors to flexural deformities. This suggests that supplementing the diets of pregnant dams with zinc may help prevent such deformities in calves.