Musculoskeletal problems including leg weakness and spinal deformities affect significant proportions of commercial pigs. Breeding and management interventions can reduce prevalence substantially.
Musculoskeletal problems in commercial pigs cause chronic pain that affects daily movement, feeding, and social behavior. Osteochondrosis — damage to developing cartilage in joints — causes lameness that is particularly prevalent in fast-growing commercial breeds selected for muscle production without proportional attention to skeletal health. Leg weakness causing difficulty rising or maintaining balance is distressing for individual animals and often precedes early death or emergency culling. Slippery slatted flooring compounds these problems by creating fall risk and abnormal postures. Breeding programs that include leg conformation in selection indices, provision of non-slip flooring, and space allowances that reduce competition can all reduce the musculoskeletal burden in commercial pig populations.