Surgical and anatomic study of calving paralysis
Cox, V.S.; Breazile, J.E.; Hoover, T.R.
American Journal of Veterinary Research 36(4 Part 1): 427-430
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9645 PMID: 1124878 Document Number: 88847
Dissections of the bovine pelvic inlet region were made to determine which nerves were vulnerable to traumatic damage caused by the fetus. Surgical sections of the obturator nerves and the lumbar roots of the sciatic (ischiatic) nerves were made to determine a possible cause of calving paralysis. Only one of 11 cattle in which bilateral obturator nerve section was done was unable to stand after the operation, and in this individual secondary stifle injuries were found on P.M. examination. Subsequent surgical operations were performed on some of these cattle in order to section the lumbar root of the sciatic nerve. Of six cattle prepared, two were unable to rise after surgery and another two refused to rise again after 30 to 45 minutes of forced exercise. Also, some of these cattle were very ataxic and had intermittent fetlock flexion.