924 INJURIES TO THE MUSCLES AND FASCIiE OF THE QUARTER. 



DISEASES OF THE HINT) LIMB. 



A. DISEASES OF THE QUARTER. 

 I.— INJURIES TO THE MUSCLES AND FASCI/E OF THE QUARTER. 



(a) Strains and ruptures of the muscles of the quarter result 

 from slipping, rearing, casting, or falling in jumping, and occasionally 

 from over-exertion in moving heavy loads. Lameness usually 

 follows, and may even prove incurable. 



In a case of extensive tearing of the biceps femoris muscle at its 

 origin on the ischium and gluteal fascia there was no lameness, 

 Tjut the animal's appearance suffered in consequence of the large 

 depression that appeared at the site of injury. Another horse 

 ruptured the semi-tendinosus muscle, producing a deep groove. The 

 hind limb was afterwards carried and placed much in advance of 

 its normal position. Lameness disappeared in two months. 



A horse which ruptured the gracilis muscle by jumping, showed 

 lameness when the leg was off the ground (swinging leg lameness) ; 

 the hip-joint appeared to sink and rise abnormally, and the stifle 

 and hock joints were but partially flexed each time the leg was 

 advanced. Lameness disappeared in a few days, but the inside of 

 the thigh revealed a permanent depression over the muscle. 



During a race a horse completely ruptured the semi-membranosus 

 and adductor magnus, and to a partial extent the pectineus and 

 adductor longus ; severe lameness and marked swelling followed, and, 

 treatment proving unsuccessful, the animal was killed. An army 

 horse caught one of its hind feet in the ground whilst in the act of 

 jumping and ruptured the superficial gluteus 3 or 4 inches in front 

 of the hip-joint. No weight could be placed on the limb, and all the 

 joints were flexed. Six weeks later the horse was able to walk, but 

 remained lame for a long time afterwards. 



As a rule strains can only be recognised by the lameness they 

 evoke ; the limb is dragged, the movement uncertain, the limb being 

 thrown too far backwards or forwards, or to one side. Palpation 

 sometimes reveals local pain. 



Muscular ruptures produce lamenesses of very varying severity 

 and symptoms, depending on the region involved. Sometimes the 

 lameness persists indefinitely, sometimes it rapidly disappears. The 

 longer it persists the more remote becomes the hope of recovery. 



