TEi^OTOMY. 



1019 



the method of treatment used by him, with a drawing- showing 

 the position of the foot before being operated upon ; also drawings 

 of his method of adjustment for holding the foot in position after 

 the operation, which are here given: — 



" Tenotomy, or Division of the Tendons. 



" This is one of the simplest, as well as one of the most useful 

 operations in equine surgery, as it will restore 

 to normal position and strength a limb which has 

 been so much deformed by contraction of the 

 great flexor tendon of the foot, as to leave an 

 otherwise good horse utterly useless. This con- 

 traction causes Avbat is known as knuckling, or 

 descending forward and downward of the fetlock 

 joint towards the ground. 



" The operation is as follows : The horse is 

 secured (in some cases throwing down is unnec- 

 essary), the leg is flexed or bent at the knee, a 

 very small incision is made through the skin on 

 the inside of the leg, at the inner border of the 

 tendon, whez-e it stands out freest from the ' can- 

 non bone.' (See Fig. 876.) Then insert a probe 

 pointed tenotomy knife, keeping it pressed as 

 close to the tendon as possible to avoid cutting 

 the arteiy, which may be better protected by 

 pressing with the fingers of the left hand towards 



the bone, all the 



Fig. 876. — Showing 

 the position of the 

 foot before being 

 operated upon. 



soft tissues ]y- a, Point to enter 

 ing in front of the knife for cutting 

 the tendon, the tendons. 

 Press the knife 



in until the skin is reached, but 

 not cut on the opposite side; 

 turn the edge towards the ten- 

 don, cut carefully backward, 

 while an attendant straightens 

 the limb, until both tendons are 

 severed, if necessary, to let the 

 limb out straight. But a small 

 wound is best for the healing 

 process. And where adhesions 

 have taken j)lace, force is re- 

 quired to straighten out the foot, 

 with the b7-ace or sfcq/ shoe. (See 

 Fig. 878.) With a little antisep- 

 tic dressing occasionally to the 

 wound, recovery will take place early. As a much better ' set ' 

 limb can be had with use of stai/ shoe, it may be added that one can 

 be easily made by welding a bar of the desired length on the old 



Fig. 877. — Drawing of the shoe and bar 



used for the treatment of the 



case referred to. 



