42 SPEAINS. 



where the ligament joins the tendon, about three inches below the 

 knee. The existence of such a thickening materially detracts from 

 the value of the animal. At other times, there is a permanent ful- 

 ness of the ligament just below the knee, and, generally more on 

 the inner than on the outer side of the leg, without there being any 

 appearance of a knot on the back tendons. 



TREATMENT FOR SPRAIN OF THE CHECK LIGAMENT.— 

 See page 44 et seq. 



SPRAIN OF THE BACK TENDONS.— The perforans tendon is, 

 as a rule, sprained at the point where it passes over the fetlock. 

 If the injury be severe, the swelling will generally extend to the 

 perforatus. There is usually a great deal of swelling above the 

 fetlock joint, accompanied by heat, pain, and lameness. In the 

 early stages, before much swelling takes place, the seat of the 

 sprain may be detected by feeling the tendons with the fingers. 

 Unless the sprain is extremely slight, the exudation and extravasated 

 blood in the part will cause the tendons to assume, more or less, 

 a bowed appearance (Figs. 16 and 18, which we may advantageously 

 compare with Figs. 15 and 17). The "bow" caused by sprain of 

 the check ligament is naturally somewhat higher up, than that in- 

 duced by sprain of the perforans. In both cases, though present, 

 it is often so little prominent as to escape notice except by a prac- 

 tised eye. " Sprain of the sheath of the back tendons '"' is a term 

 sometimes applied to a slight sprain of the perforans, in which there 

 may be no lameness, only a little thickening along the course of 

 the tendons between knee and fetlock. I cannot help regarding 

 the use of this expression as an ingenious effort to make light of 

 a very grave accident ; for I do not see how the sheath can be 

 sprained, without the tendon having been seriously involved at the 

 same time. 



If we place our fingers on the back tendons of a sound leg, we 

 shall find that, besides being hard and comparatively thin, they 

 feel as if they were hollowed out on the inner side of the leg; but 

 in a limb which has suffered from sprain of the back tendons, they 

 feel round (like a rope) on the inside, as well as abnormally large 

 and soft, and are frequently " bowed." 



Professor Dick regarded rupture of some of the fibres of the 

 perforans tendon, as a frequent cause of navicular disease. It is 

 more probably a result than a cause of that complaint. 



TREATMENT FOR SPRAIN OF THE BACK TENDONS.— See 

 [tage 4:4: et seq. 



