40 EQUINE ANATOMY. 



of tlie external small metacarpal bone, gives off the 

 deep palmar branch, then passes along the tendon of 

 the perforans muscle, recQives the branch , of. the in- 

 ternal plantar and at the fetlock terminates m the 

 digital branches. 



Digital branches, or collaterals of the digit — three 

 in number — one anterior, one middle and a posterior. 

 The anterior placed in front of the vein goes to the 

 skin of the anterior face of the digit. The middle, 

 between the artery and vein, goes to the coronary 

 cushion and the podophyllous tissue. The posterior, 

 behind the artery and larger than the other, lies first 

 above the artery and then behind it, runs down to the 

 basilar process, into the lateral fissure of the os pedis 

 and ramifies in the podophyllous tissue and the bone. 

 Collateral branches : 1 — to the flexor tendons ; 2 — to 

 the plantar cushion ; o — to the cartilages of the os 

 pedis; 4- — to the reticulum of the podophyllous tissue; 

 5 — a plantar branch. 



COMPLEMENTAKY APPENDAGES AND TeGUMENTARY COV- 

 ERINGS OF THE DIGITAL REGION. — They coiisist of the 

 fibro cartilages of the os pedis, the plantar cusliion, 

 and of the keratogenous membrane — the whole cov- 

 ered by the horn)^ apparatus or hoof. 



Fibro-Cartilages of the os pedis — situated one on 

 eacli side — offer an external fnce convex, an internal 



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