FRACTURE OF THE METACARPAL BONES 59 



No difficulty is experienced in diagnosing complete fracture, the 

 excessive mobility of the distal end of the limb making the fracture at 

 once apparent. But careful palpation, after the manner indicated in our 

 superficial examination of this region, is necessary to detect fracture of 

 only one of the bones. Partial fracture is extremely difficult to detect, 

 and if there is much swelling positive diagnosis of it is practically an 

 impossibility, and it can only be suspected. Compound fractures are, of 

 course, self-evident. 



In the treatment of fractures of the metacarpus there is much less 

 difficulty experienced in reducing the fracture than in the other frac- 

 tures we have treated, since this portion of the limb can be readily 

 manipulated. If only one bone is fractured, little, if any, displacement 

 occurs (excepting in fractures of the distal extremities of the splint bones 

 mentioned above), since the remaining two bones play the part of splints 

 in retaining the fractured ends in position. 



When reduction is necessary it should be carried out with de- 

 liberation, and the conformation of the limb carefully observed and 

 compared with that of the opposite limb. Plaster bandages are applied 

 from the coronet upwards, well above the seat of fracture. A splint 

 is then applied to the back of the limb after the manner already 

 described, and the animal is placed in slings. 



When the fracture is compound treatment is rarely successful. 



SPLINTS 



This is the term applied to exostoses on the metacarpal or metatarsal 

 bones. Such exostoses are extremely common in horses — in fact, 

 comparatively few horses are found to be free from them. They are 

 most frequently found on the inner aspect of the limb, along the line ot 

 apposition of the large and inner small metacarpal bones. 



The enlargements may occur as simple exostoses, which may be nodular 



