220 



VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



cision. — The incision is along a vertical line at the very 

 middle of the hock internally, and is about two inches long. 

 The cunean tendon can not be felt on palpation. It is flat 

 and hidden in a groove which is quite deep if the exostosis 

 is a large one. It traverses the inner side of the hock in an 

 oblique direction from above downward and backward be- 

 tween the quadrification of the flexor metatarsi in front of 

 the astragalus to the cuneiform parvum. A line drawn from 

 the anterior face of the astragalus to the head of the internal 

 splint bone about follows its course. These two points are 

 selected because of their prominence. A vertical incision 

 in the middle of the internal surface of the hock crosses the 



Fig. 118 — Restraint and Position of Operator in Cunean Tenotomy. 



tendon at the safest and most conspicuous place. Some 

 practitioners make a diagonal incision following the oblique 

 course of the tendon, but besides giving no advantage it is 

 much more difficult to heal than the vertical one. 



The line of incision is determined by mental calculation ; 

 there are no land-marks to follow. The incision is two inches 

 long, the lower end coming downward to the level of the 

 large metatarsus. If the incision is kept in the middle of 

 the hock no important structures will be encountered. An- 

 teriorly the field is traversed by the internal saphenic vein, 

 but this vessel is visible and easily avoided. If carried too 

 high there is danger of entering the capsular ligament of the 



