ORIGINAL ARTICLE Microtomographic Parameters and Nanoindentation of the Hoof of Girolando Cattle B. M. Assis 1 , L. A. F. Silva 2 , C. R. O. Lima 3 , F. J. F. Sant’Ana 4 *, G. P. Santos 1 , V. A. S. Vulcani 1 and R. E. Rabelo 1 1 Addresses of authors: Universidade Federal de Goi as, Regional Jata  ı, BR 364, Km 195, 75800-000, Jata  ı, Goi as, Brazil; 2 Escola de Veterin aria e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goi as, Campus Samambaia, 74690-900, Goi^ ania, Goi as, Brazil; 3 Universidade Estadual de Goi as, Campus Jata  ı, R. L eo Lince 610, 75800-000, Jata  ı, Goi as,Brazil; 4 Laborat orio de Diagn ostico Patol ogico Veterin ario, Universidade de Bras  ılia, Hospital Veterin ario de Grandes Animais, Granja do Torto, 70636-020, Bras  ılia, Distrito Federal, Brazil *Correspondence Tel.: +55 61 3468-7255; Fax: +55 61 3468-7255; e-mail: santanafjf@yahoo.com With 3 figures and 2 tables Received April 2017; accepted for publication July 2017 doi: 10.1111/ahe.12290 Summary The aim of this study was to describe the microstructure of the pigmented and depigmented hoof capsule of Girolando cattle by bi- and tridimensional micro- tomography and nanoindentation, analysing the possible relation between these findings and the susceptibility of such animals to podal diseases. To carry out the microtomography and the nanoindentation, duplicated samples were col- lected from the dorsal wall, abaxial wall and pre-bulbar sole of the hoof cap- sule. Material collection was performed in 40 medial digits of thoracic limbs and 40 lateral digits of pelvic limbs. The bidimensional microtomography showed that the dorsal wall of the thoracic and pelvic limbs presented higher density, followed by the abaxial wall, and finally by the sole, with the lowest density. Moreover, the hoof capsule of cows of Girolando breed is a compact, non-porous material, and constituted by extratubular and intratubular keratin. By the tridimensional microtomography, it was possible to measure the angles of the corneal tubules in relation to the periople and the claws in the different regions of the hoof capsule, which were 90° for the dorsal wall, 55° for the abaxial wall and 70° for the sole. The tridimensional microtomography also showed corneal tubules of different diameters: 17, 51, 85, 119 and 153 lm. The nanoindentation test, when performed in different regions of the hoof cap- sule, did not reveal significant difference of Vickers hardness in the evaluated areas. However, we verified a larger elastic module of these regions on the transversal cut of the corneal tubules compared to the longitudinal cut. Introduction Epidemiologic, clinical and therapeutical aspects of podal diseases in dairy cattle have been the target of scientific investigations for decades. However, research of hoof morphology, especially micro and nanostructural charac- teristics, is scarce. The lack of more complex studies has limited the understanding of physiological events in healthy hoofs, as well as the anatomical structure in dif- ferent breeds, and their predisposition to podal diseases. In such circumstances, the employment of efficient thera- peutical protocols and the implementation of adequate preventive measures are restricted, intensifying the economic losses of the breeders. This reality provides new scenery for scientific research, which implies revisiting the morphological sciences under new perspectives, employ- ing innovative methods. The use of advanced scientific techniques of investigation that have already been used in other domains, for instance, physics, chemistry, geology, mechanical and construction engineering, dentistry and orthopaedics appears as a unique tool for agrarian sciences, especially veterinary medicine. This innovation seems to be promising for the understanding of the microstructure and of the factors related to resistance and quality of the hoof capsule of bovine digits (Assis, 2015; Rabelo et al., 2015). © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH Anat. Histol. Embryol. 1 Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia