BENT KNEES. 855 



VI.— BENT KNEES IN HORSES. 



In aged animals this condition results from excessive contraction 

 of the external and oblique flexor muscles of the metacarpus, and 

 is brought about by wear, hard work, senile changes, or disease of 

 the carpus or metacarpus. In foals it may be congenital, or associated 

 with knuckling at the fetlock ; and in young horses beginning regular 

 work it may be connected with multiple splint formation, arthritis 

 of the knee, or synovitis of the flexor sheaths. Bent knee also occurs 

 in the dog, sometimes after distemper, and is due to retraction of 

 the flexors of the carpus. 



Treatment. Disease of the carpus, or of parts below it, should be 

 treated on general principles. In other cases bent knees may be 

 temporarily straightened by blistering the posterior surface of the 

 limb from the elbow to the fetlock, afterwards turning the horse 

 out for a month or two. Bent knee uncomplicated by carpal or 

 metacarpal disease may be successfully treated by supercarpal 

 tenotomy or subcutaneous section of the external and oblique flexors 

 of the metacarpus. The procedure is similar to that followed in 

 performing tenotomy of the flexors of the foot. The horse is cast 

 on the side opposite to the bent knee, and the limb is held extended 

 by two sidelines, one applied to the fore-arm and pulled backwards, 

 the other to the fetlock which is pulled forwards. In front of the 

 anterior edge of the external tendon, from two to three inches above 

 the supercarpal bone, a small incision is made through the skin 

 and fascia, and a probe-pointed tenotome is then carefully passed 

 in front of the tendon which is divided from before backwards. The 

 wound is sutured and protected with an antiseptic dressing. For 

 a few days the horse should be placed in slings ; and if the result 

 should prove unsatisfactory, the oblique flexor tendon may be divided 

 in the same manner, through an incision between the tendons and 

 about an inch above the first made wound. In some cases, section 

 of the perforans tendon is necessary before the knee can be fully 

 extended. Supercarpal tenotomy is an effectual remedy for bent knee 

 in the dog, in which section of both the external and oblique flexors 

 is required. The incision is made immediately above the supercarpal 

 bone or close to the insertion of the tendons. 



VII.— SPLINTS. 



Splints are bony enlargements developed between the large and 

 small metacarpal bones, generally on the inner side, less commonly 

 on the outer side of the leg. They are very common in horses, but 



