THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XXVII, 
No. 314. 
FEBRUARY, 1854. 
Third Series, 
No. 74. 
DISLOCATION OF THE PATELLA. 
By George Waters, M.R.C.V.S., Cambridge. 
At about six o’clock in the evening of the 8th of last 
August, I was summoned in haste by an innkeeper of this 
town to visit a horse of his that was supposed to have 
broken his thigh, whilst being exercised on Parker’s Piece 
by the groom. I immediately proceeded with him to the 
spot, and found the horse surrounded by a number of 
people, some of whom (the more knowing ones) were for 
sending for the knacker, and so despatching him at once. 
The animal seemed to be suffering greatly. He was in a 
profuse perspiration, unable to walk, except on three legs, in 
consequence of the off hind leg being quite powerless. As 
he was rather of a vicious nature, I had some difficulty at first 
in handling him; though after a little coaxing, placing a man 
on each side of his head, I was soon enabled to satisfy 
myself that there was no fracture of the thigh, but that the 
stifle joint was the seat of injury. The patella had slipped 
over the outer * condyle of the femur. I directly, on ascer- 
taining this, clasped the leg just below the hock with my 
right hand; and, whilst pulling it forcibly forwards and 
upw ards, used my left in pressing the patella inwards. Pro- 
ceeding thus for about two or three minutes at most, the 
bone returned to its natural situation, with the usual sound 
of a dislocated bone slipping into its socket. The horse 
walked off immediately free from lameness, to the perfect 
amazement of the bystanders. 
I may mention that the horse had run aw^ay with the lad 
who w r as riding him, and had thrown him off, and it was 
in the act of catching him that the accident took place. 
Yours, &c. 
Corn Exchange Hill ; 
Dec . 18, 1853. 
* The Editor remembers but one case of the dislocation being inward. 
xxvii. 9 
