20 LAMENESS OF THE HORSE 



perament, may comport themselves in a manner that is conductive 

 to prompt recovery, or to early destruction. This feature cannot 

 be overestimated in importance, as it is sometimes a decisive 

 element, regardless of other conditions. A horse suffering from 

 an otherwise remediable pelvic fracture may be so worried and 

 tortured by being confined in a sling that the case calls for spe- 

 cial attention and care because of the animal's temperament. 

 Sometimes, the constant presence of a kind attendant will so 

 reassure the subject that it will become resigned to unnatural 

 confinement, in a day or two. This precaution may, in itself, 

 determine the outcome, and the wise veterinarian will not over- 

 look this feature or fail to deviate from the usual rote in the 

 handling of average cases. Recovery may be brought about in 

 irritable subjects by this concession to the individual idiosyn- 

 crasies of such animals. 



AFFECTIONS OF LIGAMENTS. 



Ligaments which have to do with the locomotory apparatus 

 are, for the most part, inelastic structures which are composed 

 of white fibrous tissue and serve to join together the articular 

 ends of bones ; to bind down, tendons ; and to act as sheathes or 

 grooves through which tendons pass, and as capsular membranes 

 for retention of synovia in contact with articular surfaces oP 

 bones. 



Ligaments are injured less frequently than are bones. Because 

 of their flexibility they escape fracture in the manner that bones 

 suffer. They are, however, completely severed by being cut or 

 ruptured, though fibrillary fracture the result of constant or 

 intermittent tensile strain is of more frequent occurrence. 



Simple inflammation of ligaments is of occasional occurrence 

 but, unless considerable injury is done this tissue, no perceptible 

 manifestation of injury results. No doul^t many cases wherein 

 fibrillary fracture of ligaments (sprain) takes place some lame- 

 ness is caused, but because of the dense, comparatively non- 

 vascular nature of these structures, little if any manifestation, 

 except lameness, is evident. And such eases, if recognized are 

 usually diagnosed by excluding the existence of other possible 

 causes and conditions wliidi miti'lit also cause lameness. 



