[Diseases of the locomotor apparatus in pigs on commercial farm complexes].

This type of affections concern mainly pigs in the first several days following birth, and rarely pigs up to the age of 15 to 20 days. Their manifestation has a stationary character. They are encountered more frequently and on a mass scale in the winter and spring months. The carpus joints are chiefly affected, whereas the distal joints of the hind legs are much more rarely involved. Detailed epizootiologic, bacteriologic, clinical, haematological, biochemical, and X-ray investigations have been carried out with normal and diseased pigs and the respective sows. The disease process has been found to develop under the influence of occasionally pathogenic pigsty microbial flora, which entered the body most often through the affected skin of the knee joints when sucking. Laboratory studies revealed that Staphylococcus hyicus took part. Carriers of the infection were the sows from which the same causative agents were isolated. Biochemically, a lowered level of the serum calcium was demonstrated, accompanied by well defined leukocytosis in the more strongly affected pigs and their sows. It was shown that in terms of prophylaxis most effective were the local treatments of the diseased knee joints of pigs in the first three days after birth with granulin as well as the treatment of the sows and their offsprings with antibiotics, vitamins, and calcium preparations. It was shown that the regular and opportune disinfection with 1-2 per cent sodium hydroxide was of special interest.