86 THE SURGICAL ANATOMY OF THE HORSE 



occur along the sutures in young animals, owing to the fact that 

 they are not completely ossified. 



Should there be no displacement of the bone, no treatment is 

 necessary other than protecting the pa!'t from pressure from without. 

 But such fractures are usually accompanied by a depression of the bones 

 into the underlying cavities, and in these cases it becomes necessary to 

 raise the depressed bones to their normal level. This is effected by 

 trephining into the cavity, the trephined opening being made close to the 

 area of bone depressed. Through this opening a curved probe with a 

 blunt or " ball " extremity is introduced, and by utilising the instrument 

 as a lever with the edge of the opening as a fulcrum, the ball is pressed 

 against the displaced bone until the latter is sufficiently raised. It may 

 be necessary to trephine at two or three seats. Any splintered pieces 

 of bone or foreign material must be carefully removed. 



The Nasal Peak. — This is the long tapering piece of bone which is 

 formed by the inferior extremities of the two nasal bones. These in the 

 young animal come into apposition with one another along the nasal 

 suture, and in the old animal are ossified together. 



The peak is flattened from before to behind, and in outline resembles 

 an isosceles triangle, the base of which is directed upwards and is 

 indicated by an imaginary line drawn transversely in the position where 

 the peak is in continuity with the bodies of the nasal bones. The sides 

 of the triangle are free, and are separated from the nasal processes of the 

 pre-maxillary bones by an interval which progressively increases as we 

 descend to the apex or point of the peak, which is also free. 



The nasal peak is supported, therefore, only at its base, and it is 

 commonly fractured, an injury which is due usually to the part coming 

 into forcible contact with the ground when the animal falls. Dis- 

 placement in the downward direction may readily occur. Diagnosis 

 of such a fracture is not difficult, since the peak may be easily felt 

 and manipulated. 



To raise the depressed piece of bone a conical piece of wood, 



