764 FRACTURES OF THE HUMERUS. 



to the thick muscular covering of the bone, though it may be 

 suspected. 



Course. In carnivora, fractures of the condyles almost always 

 unite in six to eight weeks, though some interference with movement 

 of the elbow may remain. Stockfleth and Moller in dogs have seen 

 such fractures occur in both legs simultaneously, and yet reunite. 

 Moller's case was in a sporting dog, which afterwards regained its 

 usefulness. Opinion should, however, be guarded, as the condyle 

 sometimes fails to heal, and in old dogs, even when this occurs, 

 movement of the elbow-joint is often very limited on account of callus 

 formation. In another case, in a horse, recovery took between 

 two and three months, and yet the animal was finally quite able to 

 work. Williams appears to have had less favourable results, for he 

 declares that union of the broken condyle seldom occurs, and that 

 in consequence lameness is permanent. 



Fracture of the diaphysis is less hopeful in all classes of- animals, 

 especially in draught-horses, and as a rule, no good comes of 

 attempting treatment. It is otherwise with valuable breeding-horses, 

 particularly if of quiet temperament, and in the smaller domestic 

 animals healing is quite possible so long as displacement is not great, 

 and the other foot is able to bear weight. Under these circumstances 

 recoveries have been noted. Warnecke saw fracture of the humerus 

 in a stallion, and Meredith compound longitudinal fracture in a 

 horse, reunite in ten weeks. Numerous fragments of bone were 

 removed and an antiseptic dressing applied. Numbers of similar 

 cases have been reported. Vogt relates a case where in a cow the 

 broken shaft of the humerus united. A serious point for consideration 

 is whether the marked shortening of the limb, which always occurs 

 in impacted fracture, may not make the horse or ox useless. Prognosis 

 is more hopeful in small animals, especially when the fragments are 

 not much displaced. Not only is reduction easier, but in carnivora 

 the humerus may be supported with bandages, particularly if the 

 fracture is near the lower end. 



Treatment. In horses and cattle suitable bandaging can scarcely 

 be effected, and recovery must, therefore, be left to nature. The 

 complicated dressings recommended in France do not seem to assist 

 much in retaining the fragments in position. 



Calves and young cattle sometimes make remarkable recoveries 

 when left untreated in a loosebox or shed. In carnivora, on the 

 other hand, the lower portion of the humerus may be bandaged, 

 and in them it is also possible completely to fix the broken condyle. 

 A plaster bandage is applied extending from the metacarpus as high 



