BROKEN KNEES. 273 



round in the stable, and supply him with food by means of a 

 bag suspended from the stall-posts ; the slings in the graver 

 lesions playing a most essential part. 



In some rare instances the wound in the skin and tendon is 

 situated at the inferior part of the knee, over the articulations of 

 the lower row of carpal bones and the metacarpals. A wound 

 in this part, although penetrating deeply and opening into the 

 joint, is not nearly so dangerous as one over the articulation 

 between the two rows : for there is but little motion, the suc- 

 ceeding inflammation is not nearly so great, nor the supervening 

 anchylosis so important. 



bth. When the accident has been sufficiently severe to fracture 

 one or more bones of the knee, the animal should be destroyed. 



The causes of lameness now to be described, extending to 

 the foot, are mostly common to both anterior and posterior 

 extremities. When they are not common to both, special 

 reference will be made to them. They may be enumerated as 

 follows : — 



1. Sprain of the flexor tendons. 



2. „ of suspensory ligament. 



3. Inflammation of the sesamoid bursa. 



4. „ of the fetlock-joint. 



5. Eupture of lateral ligaments of fetlock-joint. 



6. Knuckling over. 



7. Sprain of inferior suspensory ligaments. 



8. Wind-galls. 



9. Eing-bones. 



10. Sprained pasterns. 



SPRAIN OF THE FLEXOR TENDONS. 



The so-called sprain of the back sinews is not primarily in 

 reality a lesion of the flexor tendons proper, nor of their thecae, 

 but consists of a diseased condition, arising from over-extension 

 of the metacarpal or metatarsal check ligaments, situated below 

 the knee and hock, performing the same functions as the radial 

 ligament which has been already described. 



These ligaments arise from below the upper extremities of the 



