ULNAR NEURECTOMY 153 



aspect of the limb, and will be found to lie superficially on the fibrous 

 carpal arch. It is here joined by the division of the ulnar nerve referred 

 to, forming the external plantar nerve, which curves backwards and 

 outwards and disappears in the fibrous arch named. 



ULNAR NEURECTOMY 



We thus find that, in addition to the muscles which have been 

 enumerated above, the ulnar nerve is distributed to the skin covering 

 the inner aspect of the forearm and also to the skin covering the outer 

 portion of the anterior aspect of the knee, together with the skin covering 

 the outer aspect of the metacarpus. Through its contribution to the 

 external plantar nerve it takes part in supplying the outer half of the 

 foot and metacarpus. 



Neurectomy of this nerve may thus be effective in removing lame- 

 ness caused by affections of the outside of the metacarpus, e.g., splints, 

 exostoses on the outer and anterior aspects of the carpus, well-defined 

 nodular ringbones confined to the external aspect of the pastern or 

 corono-pedal joints, &c. At the same time, it must not be forgotten 

 that the median nerve also takes part in supplying these regions, 

 so that neurectomy of the median nerve occasionally becomes sub- 

 sequently necessary in cases where ulnar neurectomy is not completely 

 effective. 



The author has frequently performed neurectomy of this nerve, with 

 successful results, in cases of well-defined splints situated on the outer 

 aspect of the limb in close proximity to the knee joint. In 1902, in 

 conjunction with Sadler, this operation was performed upon a valuable 

 hunter which had been lame for two years from an osseous enlargement 

 in close proximity to the knee on the outer side. Other methods of 

 treatment having failed, this operation was decided upon, on the assump- 

 tion that lameness was probably due to pressure of the exostosis on the 



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