Case Report

Osteoarthropathy of unknown aetiology in the long bones of farmed and wild Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus)

Fritz W. Huchzermeyer, Herman B. Groenewald, Jan G. Myburgh, Johan C.A. Steyl, Martina R. Crole
Journal of the South African Veterinary Association | Vol 84, No 1 | a975 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v84i1.975 | © 2013 Fritz W. Huchzermeyer, Herman B. Groenewald, Jan G. Myburgh, Johan C.A. Steyl, Martina R. Crole | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 06 January 2013 | Published: 13 November 2013

About the author(s)

Fritz W. Huchzermeyer, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Herman B. Groenewald, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Jan G. Myburgh, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Johan C.A. Steyl, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Martina R. Crole, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Humeri of farmed and wild Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) collected during routine post-mortem examinations were boiled, cleaned and examined for lesions. Various degrees of gross bone and articular pathology were found. The lesions were situated predominantly at the proximal and distal epiphyseal and metaphyseal regions of the bone, where growth and bone remodelling occurs. In advanced cases partial collapse of the articular surface could be identified. From the collection of crocodile bones five particular cases are described. Because of the wide distribution of origin of the affected animals, nutritional or toxicological causes seem unlikely. One of the cases presented was associated with mycoplasmosis. These forms of crocodilian bone pathology need further investigation.

Keywords

Crocodile; Osteopathy; arthropathy

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