ANTERIOR TIBIAL NEURECTOMY 183 



mended in this country by Macqueen — i.e., two inches below the head 

 of the fibula. 



The animal should be cast on the side of the sound limb, placed 

 under a general anaesthetic, and an area about six inches square below 

 the head of the fibula shaved and subjected to the usual preparatory 

 treatment. A vertical incision should then be made from one to two 

 inches in length in the depression between the extensor pedis and peroneus 

 muscles, the incision commencing two inches below the head of the 

 fibula and passing through the skin and superficial fascia. On separating 

 the lips of this incision the shiny layer of deep fascia will be seen, and 

 m this a similar incision should be made, when the nerve will usually be 

 found lying in the direct line of vision of the operator. Occasionally 

 the musculo-cutaneous nerve may also be seen, when it should be 

 remembered that the anterior tibial nerve is the upper of the two. The 

 anterior tibial nerve is thus caught as it dips between the extensor 

 pedis and peroneus muscles, and if the two muscles be separated from one 

 another the nerve may be severed below the point where it detaches 

 branches to the anterior tibial muscles. The operation in this seat is 

 quite simple, and there are no important vessels near. One or two 

 cutaneous sutures are inserted, and the part dusted over with dry 

 antiseptic dressing. 



In the treatment of spavin Bossi performed neurectomy on both 

 the anterior and posterior tibial nerves, and hence the name BossPs 

 double neurectomy for spavin has come to be applied to these opera- 

 tions. Bossi performed the operation on the anterior tibial nerve 

 in what we refer to as the lower seat. In this seat the area selected is 

 in the inferior half of the depression between the extensor pedis and 

 peroneus muscles. Williams, of Cornell, selects the seat as follows : 

 " Shave and disinfect the skin over an area 6 cm. long by 3 cm. 

 wide directly over this depression, and extending upward from a 

 point 6 or 7 cm. above the tibio-astragaloid articulation." Moller 

 states that " the point selected is at the external surface of the 



