LAMENESS IN THE HIND-LEG. 85 



Abnormal extension of all joints of the leg is present in : 

 (See pages 82, 83.) 



Abuormal position of individual joints in the suppoiting- 

 leg, is present in : 



1. Exaggerated flexion of the hip joint, with forward 

 pointing of the limb in order to relieve pain in diseases of 

 the fore feet, as founder ; abnormal extension of the hip 

 joint, as in bilateral chronic inflammation of the stifle joiut. 



2. Stifle joint. Abnormal flexion of this joint is seen in 

 the disease mentioned on page 82, also in outward luxation 

 of the patella. Abnormal extension, as in upward luxation 

 of the patella. 



3. Hock joint. Abnormal flexion of the joint, as in 

 paralysis of the crural nerve, disease of the patellar muscles 

 and rupture of the gastrocnemii or their tendon. Paralysis 

 of the tibial nerve causes abnormal flexion of the stifle and 

 hock joints. Excessive extension of the hock joint is 

 sometimes due to spavin. 



4. Phalanges. On the whole, the same causes, bringing 

 about abnormal positions in the fore-leg, are also active in 

 the production of similar conditions in the hind-leg. An 

 upright fetlock is produced by inflammations of the flexor 

 tendons and their sheaths, or shortening of their muscular 

 or tendinous portion. Although these symptoms are about 

 the same as in the fore-leg, the hock joint is less influenced 

 than the carpus, but muscular contraction results in 

 knuckling at the fetlock at each step. An upright fetlock 

 also follows diseases of the phalangeal joints, chiefly the 

 fetlock and coronet joints; inflammatory changes in the skin 

 on the posterior face of the phalanges ; in the hoof, as a 

 secondary symptom, all such conditions as paralysis of the 



