RUPTURE OF THE FLEXOR TENDONS AND SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT. 565 
III.—RUPTURE OF THE FLEXOR TENDONS AND 
SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT. 
Rupture of the flexor tendons is produced by external violence, 
especially by violent over-extension when weight is thrown on the fore 
limb; it is therefore almost entirely confined to solipeds, the great 
strains necessary for its production 
only occurring during movements like 
jumping or galloping. In ruminants 
a ligament, extending from the knee 
to the claws, assists in preventing- 
such accidents. Rupture is favoured 
by changes in the nutrition of the 
tendons, and after infectious diseases, 
or even after long rest, often results 
from slight exertion. 
Schellhase and Comeny saw simul¬ 
taneous rupture of the inferior sesa- 
moidal ligaments of both fore limbs in 
horses which had been rested for a long¬ 
time. Johne also observed rupture of 
this ligament in a foal which had been 
in hospital, and as the rupture was 
accompanied by tearing away of por¬ 
tions of bone, suggested it was due to 
change in the bone substance. In 
another case the superior sesamoidal 
ligament was ruptured near its bifurca¬ 
tion in a horse which had fallen. Smith 
describes a case in the horse where, in 
consequence of the animal jumping, 
both flexor tendons and the suspensory 
ligament of one fore limb were suddenly 
ruptured, the metacarpus penetrating 
4 inches into the earth. 
Kay, in a horse, noted rupture of both Fig. 207.—Showing relative positions of 
flexor tendons and the suspensory liga¬ 
ment in three separate limbs. The 
flexor pedis perforans was torn away 
from the os pedis and the suspensory 
ligament from the sesamoid bones, 
while portions of the bone were also 
loosened. The horse had previously 
been lame, and for some time incap- 
tendons, &c., in the metacarpal region. 
Immediately behind the metacarpus lies 
the suspensory or superior sesamoidal 
ligament ; the short band extending from 
behind the knee half-way down the meta- 
carpus is the check ligament; behind it 
lies the perforans tendon, to which it is 
connected ; the hindmost of the tendons 
shown is that of the flexor pedis per- 
foratus muscle. 
able of work. In the year 1890 a horse 
was sent to the Berlin clinique suffering from recent and sudden lameness ; 
the animal could scarcely stand even for a few moments. When forced to do 
so, the hind feet were placed far forwards and the fore feet disposed as in 
laminitis. Post-mortem showed rupture of the flexor pedis perforans in all 
four feet at and above its point of insertion into the os pedis. No exact 
