FKACTURES OF THE SCAPULA, ETC. 133 



case you have displacement and contortion without crepitus, 

 whereas the sound is present in the other. There never need be 

 any difficulty in diagnosing fracture when displacement has 

 resulted ; the difficulty is in forming a correct opinion when this 

 has not taken place. 



The olecranon is fractured transversely by over-extension ; it 

 snaps across about its middle. It will be remembered that the 

 very powerful triceps and scapulo-ulnaris muscles are attached 

 to the olecranon. When the animal slips forward to any great 

 extent, these muscles are thrown into a state of great tension ; 

 in fact, they are extended beyond their limit. The results from 

 this are, laceration of their tendons of insertion, fracture of the 

 bone into which they are inserted, rupture of the muscles them- 

 selves, or all these lesions combined. Any of these cause 

 immediate and great lameness ; the animal will stand with the 

 whole limb in an exceedingly relaxed and semi-flexed condition, 

 with almost total inability to move it, and to support any weight 

 uj'on it. The detached bone being drawn upwards into the 

 deep bed of muscular tissue posterior to the humerus, and the 

 parts, as a rule, immediately swelling, crepitation cannot be 

 detected, and it becomes a matter of great difficulty to form a 

 correct diagnosis. Mr. Anderson, V.S., Glasgow, has discovered 

 an almost unfaihng way, and it is as follows : — Let the practi- 

 tioner place his knee firmly against the knee of the patient's 

 injured leg, and by firm pressure he is to straighten the semi- 

 flexed limb, and to keep it in that position, while an assistant 

 is directed to lift up the horse's opposite fore foot. If the ole- 

 cranon is fractured, the patient is unable to stand; but if there 

 be merely laceration, he will be able to bear his weight, with the 

 assistance at the knee given by the practitioner. 



There are two positions in which the limb is maintained when 

 suffering from this injury, namely, semi-flexed with the foot in 

 advance, with the heel touching the ground; or semi-flexed 

 with the foot behind, knuclding over, the toe only touching the 

 ground, and turned inwards. 



Correct diagnosis is of the greatest importance in cases of this 

 kind, as in laceration of the tendons, or of the muscular struc- 

 ture, a recovery may be expected ; whereas, if the bone is broken, 

 little good can be done if the fracture is complete, and the 

 fragments are separated by muscular action. 



