Tibial dyschondroplasia (TDP) is an economically important disease in poultry with rapid growth rates. In tibial dyschondroplasia, the growth-plate cartilage of the tibia does not mature and ossification does not occur. This results in deformity, growth plate fractures and infections. The most likely cause of this deformation is a toxin called fusarochromanone produced by Fusarium equiseti. When added to the diet of broiler chicks at 75 ppm, 100% of the chicks developed TDP. This toxin may be largely responsible for the TDP syndrome in poultry.
