ARTICULATIONS OF THE ANTERIOR LIMBS. 



155 



Fig. 



bones of the lower carpal row ; the deep portion, much thicker, is attached 

 to the posterior face of the principal metacarpal for about 8-10ths of an inch. 

 ]t has been wrongly asserted that the suspensory ligament of the fetlock is 

 continuous with the common posterior ligament of the carpus ; it is, on the 

 contrary, quite distinct from it. The carpal stay or deep palmar aponeu- 

 rosis of Man, is alone in direct continuity with the common posterior liga- 

 ment of the carpus. The suspensory ligament of 

 the fetlock is bifid at its inferior extremity; its 

 two branches, after being fixed into the summits 

 of the sesamoid bones, give origin to two fibrous 

 bands which pass downwards and forwards to 

 become united on each side to the anterior ex- 

 tensor tendon of the phalanges. It is in relation, 

 by its posterior face, with the perforans tendon and 

 its carpal stay ; by its anterior face, with the 

 median metacarpal bone, and arteries and veins ; 

 by its borders, with two small interosseous muscles, 

 the lateral metacarpal bones, and the digital 

 vessels and nerves. 



Synovial membrane. This membrane is pro- 

 longed as a cul-de-sac between the terminal 

 branches of the preceding ligament. It is the 

 distention of this sac which causes the articular 

 swellings vulgarly designated "windgalls." 



Movements. The metacarpo-phalangeal articu- 

 lation permits the extension and flexion of the digit, 

 and some slight lateral motion when the movable 

 osseous ray is carried to the limits of flexion. 



SECTION OF THE INFERIOR 

 ROW OF CARPAL BONES, 

 THE METACARPAL, AND THE 

 SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT OF 

 THE FETLOCK, 



1, Os maguum; 2, Common 

 posterior ligament of the 

 carpus; 3, Stay, or band 

 for the perforans tendon ; 

 4, Suspensory ligament of 

 the fetlock; 5, Its super- 

 ficial layer; 6, Its deep 

 fasciculus , 7, Principal 

 metacarpal bone. 



In the Ox, Sheep, and Goat, this articulation consti- 

 tutes a double Linge which resembles the simple gin- 

 glymus of monodactyles. 



They have three intersesamoid ligaments two lateral 

 to unite the large sesamoids of each digit, and a median 

 which unites the internal sesamoids. The inferior sesa- 

 moidean ligamentous apparatus is far from showing the same 

 degree of development as in the Horse ; it is reduced for 

 each digit to four small bands, which remind one very 

 much of the deep ligament of the latter animal, as it has 

 been described by Rigot : two lateral bands pass directly 

 from the sesamoids to the upper extremity of the first 

 phalanx ; the other two, situated between the first, inter- 

 cross and are confounded with the latter by their ex- 

 tremities. A lateral sesamoid ligament unites the first phalanx to the external sesamoid. 

 For each digit there are two lateral metacarpo-phalangeal ligaments an external, 

 analogous to that of the Hor^e, but less complicated, is attached by its inferior extremity 

 to the first phalanx only; the other, internal, fixed superiorly in the bottom of the inter- 

 articular notch of the metacarpal bone, is inserted into the inner face of the first 

 Ehalanx in mixing its fibres with those of the superior interdigital ligament. This 

 itter is situated between the two first phalanges, and is composed of short, intercrossed 

 fibres, attached to the imprints which in part cover the internal face of the two first 

 phalangeal bones. In the Sheep there are only traces of this interdigital ligament, and 

 each internal metacarpo-phalangeal ligament gives rise, near its phalangeal insertion, to 

 a fibrous branch which is directed backwards from the interdigital space, and is 

 terminated in the bone of the ergot (or posterior rudimentary digit), which it sustains. 

 The anterior or capsular ligament, single as in Solipeds, unites the two external lateral 

 ligaments. The suspensory ligament, single superiorly, is divided inferiorly into eight 

 branches, two of which are joined to the perforatus tendon to form with it the double 

 ring through which the two branches of the perforans pass. Four other branches, in 



