146 



LAMENESS OF THE HORSE 



With the execution of a good surgical technic, the ruptured 

 tendon might be sutured; the wound of the tendon sheath as 

 well as that of the skin carefully united by means of gut sutures, 

 the leg bandaged and immobilized with lea,ther splints and re- 

 covery follow in a reasonable percentage of cases so treated. 

 These cases afford an opportunity for the perfection of practical 

 means of treatment by those who frequently meet with this affec- 

 tion. 



Rupture of the Flexor Tendons and Suspensory Ligament. 



Etiology and Occurrence. — Rupture of the flexor tendons or 

 of the suspensory ligament is of rare occurrence. Frequently, 

 these structures are divided as the result of wounds; but rup- 

 ture, due to strain, is not frequent. 



Fig. 26 — Extreme dorsal flexion said to have resulted from an attack of 

 distemper. From Amer. J'n'l. Vet. Med., Vol. XI, No. 4. 



In some cases in running horses, or in animals that are put 

 to strenuous performances, such as are jumpers, rupture of ten- 

 dons or of the suspensory ligament takes place. However, more 

 frequently this follows certain debilitating diseases such as in- 

 fluenza or local infectious inflammation of the parts which re- 

 sults in degenerative changes and rupture follows. 



The non-elastic suspensory ligament receives some heavy strains 



