498 



Veterinary surgical operations 



These are only the curable fractures that occur to the long 

 bones of horses. Fracture of the others is usually regarded 

 as incurable, and rightly so, because recoveries are rare, the 

 disability permanent and the expense an excess over the 

 salvage. 



Even in the case of the first and the second phalanx the 

 results are none too inviting. While the life can usually be 

 saved, if the patient is not aged, there is always the perma- 

 nent claudication and deformity to be considered before ad- 

 vising the long, tedious and expensive treatment necessary 

 to effect the partial cure. 



'As fracture of these phalanges is almost always articular, 

 the osseous tissue deposited in the regenerative and repara- 

 tive process must needs invade the articulation and thus in- 

 terfere with the normal movements thereafter. While na- 

 ture's processes often construct and ingeniously repair, a 



Fig. 249— Forms of Fracture of the Phalanges. 



perfect restoration of the joint to its normal condition is sel- 

 dom ever effected. 



TREATMENT.— The patient is retained in slings for at 

 least four weeks, after which it may be allowed the freedom 

 of a loose box. As there is little displacement of the segment 

 "setting" is not found necessary, but to immobilize the seg- 

 ments against friction produced in the attempts to support 

 weight, a hard bandage extending from the upper third of 

 the cannon to the level of the floor must be applied. Plaster 

 of paris is strictly contra-indicated on account of the pressure- 

 necrosis of the skin it is so prone to produce, and the opposi- 

 tion its weight always provokes. 



The most successful procedure against these fractures is 

 as follows : First trim the long hairs of the fetlock and ergot 

 submit the leg to a good cleansing with soap, hot water anr 

 mercuric chloride, and then when dried and the hairs 

 smoothed down, sprinkle the whole area to be bandagec 



