PLANTAR NEUROTOMY. 169 



37. PLANTAR NEUROTOMY. 

 Plate XXVII. 



Object. The relief of navicular, or ringbone lameness 

 or other painful, non-suppurating disease of any parts below 

 the fetlock joint. 



Instruments. Razor, scissors, convex scalpel, compres- 

 sion arterj' forceps, tenacula, aneurism needles, suture ma- 

 terial, elastic ligature. 



Technic. It is well to shave the site of operation and 

 thoroughly disinfect the region of the metacarpus and fet- 

 lock with soap, brush, and sublimate or creolin solution and 

 50% alcohol, and apply a bandage saturated with sublimate or 

 creolin solution to the fetlock joint 24 hrs. before the 

 operation in order to secure thorough disinfection. 



Confine the animal and fix the limb as in the preceding 

 operation. After the removal of the disinfecting bandage, 

 and producing local anaesthesia pass the fingers from 

 before to behind with light pressure over the region just 

 above the fetlock joint, where there is felt immediately in 

 front of the flexor pedis tendon a channel- like depression 

 extending from above the fetlock dow^nward over it. Just 

 at the anterior margin of the flexor pedis tendon and at 

 the posterior part of the groove lies the threadlike cord 

 of the nerve, «, 3 mm. thick, which glides away from 

 underneath the fingers with a distinct recoil. The site of 

 operation lies immediately above the fetlock in the posterior 

 third of the metacarpus or one may operate at any point 

 higher up as far as beyond the middle of the metacarpus or 

 metatarsus so long as care is taken to include the anasto- 

 mosing branch given off by the median plantar nerve at 

 about the middle of the metacarpus and bending obliquely 

 around behind the tendons to join the lateral nerve some- 

 what lower down. At this point stretch the skin between 

 the thumb and index finger of one hand and make an in- 



