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SHOULDER LAMENESS FROM THROMBOSIS. 
(4) Thrombosis of the brachial artery produces lameness, which 
regularly recurs with work, and can, therefore, be easily recognised. It 
is rare, but has several times been seen in horses. 
An old Percheron mare appeared lame on being rapidly trotted or worked 
in a cart. At first there was only stiffness, but in about ten minutes both 
fore limbs began to tremble, and thereafter to give way, the animal threw the 
head and neck violently upwards, and seemed doubtful which leg to stand 
on ; the respiration and pulse were increased, and sometimes general sweating 
followed, though the fore limbs remained dry. These symptoms disappeared 
after a quarter to half an hour’s rest, but always recurred on movement. 
Post-mortem examination showed thrombosis of both brachial arteries, which 
were much thickened. 
Moller saw a similar case in a seven year old mare. When resting she 
showed nothing whatever unusual, though careful examination revealed 
hypertrophy of the heart. After ten minutes’ trotting the mare began to 
place the fore feet abnormally far forward and outward and to stumble. The 
off fore limb was especially affected; the toe often struck the ground, causing 
the animal to stumble and fall ; on rising, the legs were propped out and the 
muscles trembled, particularly the triceps. All these symptoms disappeared 
after five to ten minutes’ rest, to return again on exertion. 
Many similar cases have been seen and verified by post-mortem. A horse 
which suffered from obstruction of the femoral artery began to show symptoms 
of radial thrombosis ; during movement, the radial symptoms set in later 
than the femoral, but lasted longer, persisting for even half an hour. Post¬ 
mortem showed thrombi in the arteria subclavia, arteria axillaris, brachialis 
and radialis, and even in the metacarpal arteries. The muscular coats were 
thickened, and the intima altered in character (endoarteritis). 
Martin saw thrombosis of the axillary artery followed by gangrenous 
inflammation of the muscles of the limb, hypertrophy of the heart, and fatty 
liver. The disease appeared suddenly, with severe feverish symptoms, and 
proved fatal in eighteen hours. The case closely resembled septic cellulitis or 
malignant oedema. 
(5) Inflammatory swelling and new growths sometimes interfere with 
movement. Thus acute or chronic swelling of the prescapular and 
axillary glands, resulting from glanders, strangles, or infectious local 
diseases of the fore limbs, may all cause shoulder lameness. Gerke 
reports several cases of the kind. 
A horse, lame for two years and a half, showed on post-mortem a swelling 
as large as a man s fist beneath the shoulder, surrounding the axillary plexus. 
Another, which had suffered from shoulder lameness for four years, exhibited 
swelling and degeneration of the axillary glands. In both cases there was 
excessive atrophy, not only of the muscles, but even of the hoofs. 
In these conditions the limb is often abducted, both during movement 
and when weight is placed on it. Periodically recurring shoulder lame¬ 
ness may be caused by swelling of the axillary glands. Chronic inflam¬ 
mation and suppuration in the skin of the shoulder may produce such 
swelling of the lymph glands. Scholz found an abscess near the axillary 
artery in a horse which had suffered from metastatic strangles, and 
subsequently from lameness. 
