Digits meet digital: Share Jones lecture slides now available

The 21st RCVS Share Jones Lecture was given by Professor Dr Christoph Mülling at the British Cattle Veterinary Association Congress on Saturday 19 October, at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, and the presentation is now available to download.

Professor of Veterinary Anatomy at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Leipzig, Professor Dr Mülling (pictured, left, with President Neil Smith) gave a fascinating lecture entitled “These digits are made for walking: comparing and contrasting the structure, function and challenges of the bovine claw and equine hoof”.

His particular emphasis was on the consequences on the feet of the environmental stresses under which we put cattle and horses.

For example, in modern husbandry systems dairy cattle are standing for long periods on hard ground, when they are anatomically more suited to moving about on soft variable ground. This causes sustained pressure which weakens the claw structure and can leave it prone to the development of claw lesions and subsequent lameness.

Meanwhile, horses involved in racing and other sports face vertical deceleration of up to minus 500G, and high frequency vibrations, with major implications for both hooves and legs.

Professor Dr Mülling illustrated his talk with virtual 3-D anatomical models of cattle and horse feet, which he described as “digits meeting digital”. He explained how techniques such as high speed videographic and fluoroscopic motion analysis could help the veterinary profession to better understand what is happening within the feet of cattle and horses, and how prevention and treatment of ailments could be improved.

Globally, there are 12 billion dairy cattle digits, with approximately 20% suffering problems at any one time, and a further 220 million horse hooves: “Clearly, the welfare and economic benefits of study in this area, to the animals, veterinary surgeons and society at large, are highly relevant,” concluded Professor Dr Mülling.

This was the first time that a Share Jones lecture had been held at a Congress, and the talk was attended by many experts in the field. Professor Dr Mülling’s presentation can now be downloaded and the three-dimensional anatomical models can be found at www.hoofexplorer.com.

About the Share Jones Lectureship

The RCVS Share Jones Lectureship is bestowed biennially upon a lecturer of special eminence in veterinary anatomy. John Share Jones, in whose name the lectureship was established, was one of the founders of the Liverpool Faculty of Veterinary Science, in 1904. The Share Jones Lectureship has been running since 1959 and has enabled the veterinary profession to hear from some truly exceptional veterinary anatomists over the last half century.

About Professor Dr Mülling

Professor Dr Mülling is Professor of Veterinary Anatomy at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Leipzig. He graduated as DVM in 1988 from the Free University in Berlin, going on to work in large animal practice for six years, before heading back to university to pursue an academic career. 

Professor Dr Mülling received his doctorate degree in 1993 and since then has been active in research and teaching, moving in 2006 to the University of Nottingham, and then, in July 2007, joining the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary as a Professor of Veterinary Anatomy.

He became the Associate Dean Curriculum in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary from 2008 -2010 and then, in May 2010, he moved back to Germany and became Professor of Veterinary Anatomy at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Leipzig, where he continues to be passionately engaged in teaching and curriculum development.

His activities include development of a multimedia anatomy curriculum, development and evaluation of clinical skills simulators, and integration of clinical skills simulation in teaching anatomy and in the broader veterinary curriculum.