768 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
Symptoms .—On examination he showed faulty extension 
of the injured leg, no flexion of the hock and curling up of 
the tendo-achilles in the posterior stride. In advancing he 
carried the leg forward by a swinging leg motion and also 
showed a short anterior stride, both being largely due to a dis¬ 
inclination to use the injured parts because of pain. Another 
feature was swinging leg limp, aggravated while walking over 
the sawdust, due to being obliged to raise the leg higher to 
clear the obstruction. On the 15th the leg was swollen from 
oedema, especially about the hock. There was little tender¬ 
ness on palpation, partly due to the nature of the rupture, the 
tendinous portion of the flexor metatarsi and because the seat 
of rupture was deeply covered by the muscular portion of the 
extensor pedis. 
Diagnosis .—Rupture of the flexor metatarsi. 
Prognosis .—Unfavorable and condemned. 
/bi-/-w<9r/'<?;;^.^Revealed almost entire rupture of the tendi¬ 
nous portion of the flexor metatarsi with partial rupture of the 
muscular portion. It occurred about the lower part of the 
middle third. Extravasation of blood into the region of the 
rupture was considerable, and from small blood vessels. There 
was some inflammation extending from the seat of the lesion 
down to the tendons of insertion. There was no pus or sign 
of infection, which is rather remarkable, as there was an abra¬ 
sion of the skin, and was probably clue to the injury being 
deep-seated. (Edema of the hock was present, probably due to 
gravity, skin slightly tumefled, and fascia considerably infil¬ 
trated with serum. The abrasion of the skin was only superfi¬ 
cial and did not extend deeper than the fascia and is a proof 
that the injury was not due to contusion in the fall. 
The extensor pedis lies externally to the flexor metatarsi 
and showed little injur)^, and is another proof that the injury 
was due to violent traction and not to contusion. 
A study of the functions of these muscles explains why 
such a rupture could take place. The tendinous portion has a 
mechanical function in transferring the motion of the stifle 
joint to tire hock. The flexion of the hock is aided by the 
contraction of the muscular part. The great lesion of the ten¬ 
dinous part and the comparatively slight one of the muscular 
portion is due to a difference in structure. An apt illustration 
is to compare the tendinous portion to a string and the muscu¬ 
lar to a rubber. If both were stretched the string would break, 
and the rubber would not. It is probable that the rupture of 
