184 



VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



rhage, which will have to be arrested before the operator 

 can proceed. 



Fourth Step. — Dissecting the Nerve.— The tibial nerve is 

 always masked. It never promptly appears upon the fore- 

 ground when the fascia is divided, even when the division is 

 made directly over it. This nerve is encircled with a cover- 

 ing of adipose tissue which forms a perfect mask, and this 

 immediately perplexes the unsuspecting operator. Al- 

 though this nerve is large and superficial and the parts are 

 easy to dissect, the new operator is certain to become con- 

 fused if this special feature of the region is not known. 



The method of procedure after the fascia has been di- 



Figs. 103 and 104— Forms of " Break-Down" after Tibial Neurotomy. 



vided along the entire length of the dermal incision is to first 

 dispose of all of the blood and bleeding, and then pick up and 

 divide the underlying tissues here and there along the course 

 of the incision until a part of the glistening surface of the 

 nerve is encountered. Deep digging is to be avoided, as the 

 nerve is not far from the fascia. When the posterior vein 

 appears in the incision it will serve as a certain landmark. 

 The nerve lies immediately beneath and slightly posterior 

 to it. These two structures, vein and nerve, are never 

 widely separated. They are related to each other always. 

 When once located by this dissection it is loosened from its 

 embedded position, at a certain point, and then lifted from 



