336 Surgical Diseases and Surgery of the Dog 



of the latter. The olecranon has been known to become fractured 

 through great and sudden exertion of the triceps muscle. Fracture 

 of the radius alone may escape notice, through its consort sufficing 

 to support the weight of the body. The prognosis is most favorable 

 of all fractures, only three in one hundred and twenty-two of Froeh- 

 ner's cases having failed to become reunited. In the early part of 

 the last century Sir Astley Cooper made some experimental obser- 

 vations on fracture of the olecranon. He found that in a transverse 

 fracture the action of the triceps muscle drew up the fractured 

 portion from one-half to two inches, the extent of separation de- 

 pending on the degree of laceration of the ligamentous fibers pro- 

 ceeding from the coronoid process to the olecranon. If the ole- 

 cranon was broken off within the insertion of the coronoid ligament, 

 and the fibers of the latter remained intact, the detached portion 

 moved laterally but separated little from the ulna, and bony reunion 

 easily took place. If, however, the break took place beyond the liga- 

 mentary insertion, and the detached portion was separated by the 

 action of the triceps muscle ligamentous union ensued from lack of 

 adaptation. A longitudinal fracture produced with but slight obli- 

 quity, so that the broken portions still remained in contact, readily 

 gave place to osseous reunion. 



Treatment. Treatment of transverse fracture of the olecranon 

 with separation must therefore include adaptation to the detached 

 portion, which is best secured by suturing with silver wire, as fol- 

 lows: Under strict asepsis, expose the ulna by a longitudinal in- 

 cision, and clean away all blood-clots, etc. Drill- corresponding holes 

 by means of a bradawl or small drill from the posterior surface of 



mJ-yf 





No. 78. Diagram UlustratlTe of Bone-satnrlng. 



each portion of the bone through its thickness to the fractured sur- 

 face. Introduce the wire, approximate the parts, twist the wire and 

 leave the ends long to hang out of the wound to permit of their 



