TENOTOMY. 



1019 



the method of treatment used by him, with a drawing showing 

 the position of the foot before being operated upon ; also drawings 

 of his method of adjustment for holding the foot in position after 

 the operation, which are here given : 



" TENOTOMY, OR DIVISION OF THE TENDONS. 



" This is one of the simplest, as well as one of the most useful 

 operations in equine surgery, as it will restore 

 to normal position and strength a limb which has 

 been so much deformed by contraction of the 

 great flexor tendon of the foot, as to leave an 

 otherwise good horse utterly useless. This con- 

 traction causes what is known as knuckling, or 

 descending forward and downward of the fetlock 

 joint towards the ground. 



" The operation is as follows : The horse is 

 secured (in some cases throwing down is unnec- 

 essary), the leg is flexed or bent at the knee, a 

 very small incision is made through the skin on 

 the inside of the leg, at the inner border of the 

 tendon, where it stands out freest from the ' can- 

 non bone.' (See Pig. 876.") Then insert a probe 

 pointed tenotomy knife, keeping it pressed as FJ(J 876 ._ ghowi 

 close to the tendon as possible to avoid cutting 

 the artery, which may be better protected by the positlon f the 

 pressing with the fingers of the left hand towards 



thebone,allthe operated upon ' 

 soft tissues ly- a, Point to enter 

 ing in front of the knife for cutting 

 the tendon, the tendons. 

 Press the knife 



in until the skin is reached, but 

 not cut on the opposite side; 

 turn the edge towards the ten- 

 don, cut carefully backward, 

 while an attendant straightens 

 the limb, until both tendons are 

 severed, if necessary, to let the 

 limb out straight. But a small 

 wound is best for the healing 

 process. And where adhesions 

 have taken place, force is re- 

 quired to straighten out the foot, 

 FIG. 8. Drawing of the shoe and bar j*... Jf . 



with the brace or stay shoe, (bee 



Fig. 878.) With a little antisep- 

 tic dressing occasionally to the 

 wound, recovery will take place early. As a much better 'set' 

 limb can be had with use of stay shoe, it may be added that one can 

 be easily made by welding a bar of the desired length on the old 



used for the treatment of the 

 case referred to. 



