Dyschondroplasia of the caput femoris in skeletally immature broilers.

A morphological, radiological and pathological study of avian capital femoral dyschondroplasia was conducted. At post mortem examination a widened and, or, shortened femoral neck was an indication that dyschondroplasia of the caput femoris may have been present. Metaphyseal defects of varying severity were readily detected in radiographs and on sectioning the proximal femur. Increased growth plate thickness was due to abnormally thick transitional and, in some cases, proliferating/maturing zones. In a proportion of cases eosinophilic scars and vascular canal occlusion occurred with adjacent matrix changes. Findings support the concept that patent growth plate vascular canals are a prerequisite for normal chondrocyte hypertrophy.