Bogbladssår hos suggor : är höjden på tuber spina scapulae en riskfaktor för utveckling av bogbladssår?

Abstract: Sow shoulder lesions are a common form of decubital ulcers in sows. The wounds are often bilateral and affect both loose housed and restrained sows. In most cases shoulder lesions develop after farrowing and heal after weaning. Sows that once have had decubital ulcera are however more proned to develop new wounds after the next farrowing. The problem is multifactorial and a number of risk factors have been described, including body condition, body size, parity, time spent lying down, flooring, moisture, breed, body temperature and some herd factors. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the height of the tuber spina scapulae is a risk factor for the development of decubital ulcers. 102 sows were examined at Swedish Quality Meats abattoir in Uppsala, Sweden. The height of tuber spina scapulae in sows with shoulder lesions was measured and compared with sows without shoulder lesions. In 94 % of the sows tuber spina scapulae was between 41 and 80 mm. In all affected shoulders except one, the height of tuber spina scapulae was 50 mm or more. In sows with shoulder lesions the tuber spina scapulae was higher than in sows without shoulder lesions, but this difference was not statistically significant. The prevalence of sow shoulder lesions was 20,6 %. Further studies of sow shoulder lesions would be of great interest, especially since very little work has been done in Sweden so far. The housing of sows in Sweden differs from that of other countries, and this may affect both prevalence and development of sow shoulder lesions. Hence, it is hard to draw any conclusions from studies made in other countries.