122 
TENOTOMY PERFORMED ON A FILLY. 
Before replying to the inquiry, I was desirous of ascer¬ 
taining as much as I could of the history of the case. I 
was informed that the foal at birth showed very little of the 
defect, but in a short time afterwards it was noticed to walk 
on the toe of the foot more than natural; and at the age of 
about two months, this peculiarity had so much increased, 
that the little creature could not get the heel to the ground, 
but was obliged to throw its weight on the front of the foot, 
which caused it frequently to knuckle over. It had con¬ 
tinued gradually to get worse ; and at length was brought to 
the College, for us to improve, if possible, the position of the 
limb. 
To effect this, it was thought advisable first to try some 
mechanical contrivance, so that by time and further develop¬ 
ment a more desirable form might be obtained. Although 
this was considered not very probable, nevertheless means 
were resorted to for its accomplishment. The hoof was 
pared to a more suitable shape, and a small shoe, having a 
projecting toe-piece, about three quarters of an inch long 
and slightly curved at the toe, was applied to the foot. It 
was, however, soon found, from the extreme flexure of the 
pedal bone upon the os coronae, that the foal could not throw 
any weight upon the posterior part of the foot; and in 
attempting to do so, from the increased leverage caused by 
the projecting toe-piece, the nails were drawn out of the hoof, 
and the shoe consequently pulled off. 
Finding that this course of procedure was not likely to be 
of any service, it was abandoned at the end of about a fort¬ 
night, and the operation of tenotomy determined on. 
Before describing the operation and its results, I will 
briefly state the immediate cause of the deformity. A 
reference to the woodcut will indicate to the anatomist its 
nature. Seeing that the pedal bone was acutely flexed, 
in a backward direction, upon the os coronae, it was obvious 
that the tendon of the flexor pedis muscle, from being con¬ 
genitally too short, was the sole cause of the deformity; and 
to bring about an alteration in the relative position of the 
two bones, one with the other, the tendon above alluded to 
must be lengthened, which could only be effected by its 
being divided, and the ends kept apart until the intervening 
space should be filled up with new material. The operation 
of tenotomy is almost a painless one, and also very simple, 
especially at the age of the filly in question—six months— 
which in my opinion is the best age that operations for 
■congenital deformities can be performed. The foal, however, 
belonged to a lady, and being a great pet, she was desirous 
