162 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



the wound will heal by primary union there is no object in 

 hindering the manipulations- by a too short incision. 



Fourth Step. — Locating and Dissecting the Nerve.— The 

 incision is held apart with the dissecting forceps holding one 

 edge, the blood is bailed out and the scalpel is stroked 

 cautiously through the underlying subcutaneous areolar 

 tissue. If there is any blood-soaked areolar tissue to mfisk 

 the anatomical elements it should be picked up gently with 

 the dissecting forceps and cut away. Usually these manipu- 

 lations reveal the ligament of the ergot, an aponeurotic 

 structure that is frequently mistaken for the nerve. A close 



Fig. 99— Position for Incision for Low Plantar Neurotomy 

 (Digital Neurotomy). 



inspection, however, readily discloses its identity. The 

 nerve will be found lying just beneath the posterior border of 

 this aponeurotic structure, which is now pulled aside with 

 the dissecting forceps as the scalpel is made to cautiously 

 separate the connecting areolar stroma, which feebly unites 

 all of the structures to one another. One or two longitud- 

 inal strokes through this stroma will usually bring the glis- 

 tening nerve trunk into view in the form of a whitish ribbon 

 very closely attached to the round blue vein. If the nerve 

 is not- immediately discovered the incision must not be im- 

 mediately carried deeper. The blood must first be well 

 bailed out and the masking areolar stroma must be picked 



