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Fracture of Dorsal Vertebræ
Fracture of Dorsa! Vertebne.
20 7
FRACTURE OF DORSAL VERTEBRlE. BY
J.
W. BROWNLESS, M.R.C.V.S., KEN SIN GTON.
SOME months ago I was asked to look at a five·year.old hackney mare, said to be stiff behind. On examining her I found she was very lame on both hind limbs, with straddling gait and a want of coordination in her movements. Pul se, temperature, urine and fceces normal. I was unable to find any cause for the symptoms, except that I thought she e vinced pain on pressure in the lumbar region. The mare was given a physic ball and hot fomentations applied to loins. She gradually got worse and in a few days could only get up with assistance. Slings were tried, but she would not rest in them. At the end of ten days she showed loss of power in her fore limbs and was unable to stand even when placed on her legs by means of slings. Being now nearly covered with bed sores she was destroyed. Post-lIlortem eXamilllttloll re vealed the fact that the second and third dorsal vertebr ce had (at some previous date) been fractured in a longitudinal direction right through the body of the bone. The fracture was partially repaired by means of cartilaginous material , which, in addition to uniting the bone, had also pressed on the spinal cord to such an extent that the canal was nearly obliterated. How, when, and where, the fracture had occurred, I am unable to suggest. In conclusion, I might say that I had known the mare ever since she was foaled, and having seen her almost daily, would have heard of any accident that might have happened to her.
PARTIAL DISLOCATION OF CERVICAL VERTEBRlE. BY R. LEWIS GREEN, M.R.C.V. S. , DUDLEY.
S UBJEcT .-An aged waggon-horse . HISTORY. ---':I was called in to see this animal, and on arrival found him standing with head hanging down and twice its normal size, the nose only two inches from the ground and paralysis of the lips, with neck swollen a third of the way down. Neither the owner nor his men could give me any material help as to the cause of this; all they knew was, they found him in this condition at 7 a.m. Manipulation of the head and neck in this position revealed nothing, consequently suspected an obstruction of a large blood-vessel, so advised the owner to float him to our infirmary; this he did the same day. On arrival be was placed in a loose box, a strong head-stall with a ring in nose band, to which was attached a rope running through a pulley in the ceiling put on, and his head slung about manger high ; this operation caused pain and in this position I could see the nose was turned to the left, paralysis of the lips more noticeable. The head was kept slung in this position all night, when to my great surprise on visiting him next morning the excessive swelling of the head and neck had entirely disappeared, but the paralysis of the lips continued ; the animal was unable to raise the head any higher, or support it when the sling was removed. From this fact I came to the
20 7
FRACTURE OF DORSAL VERTEBRlE. BY
J.
W. BROWNLESS, M.R.C.V.S., KEN SIN GTON.
SOME months ago I was asked to look at a five·year.old hackney mare, said to be stiff behind. On examining her I found she was very lame on both hind limbs, with straddling gait and a want of coordination in her movements. Pul se, temperature, urine and fceces normal. I was unable to find any cause for the symptoms, except that I thought she e vinced pain on pressure in the lumbar region. The mare was given a physic ball and hot fomentations applied to loins. She gradually got worse and in a few days could only get up with assistance. Slings were tried, but she would not rest in them. At the end of ten days she showed loss of power in her fore limbs and was unable to stand even when placed on her legs by means of slings. Being now nearly covered with bed sores she was destroyed. Post-lIlortem eXamilllttloll re vealed the fact that the second and third dorsal vertebr ce had (at some previous date) been fractured in a longitudinal direction right through the body of the bone. The fracture was partially repaired by means of cartilaginous material , which, in addition to uniting the bone, had also pressed on the spinal cord to such an extent that the canal was nearly obliterated. How, when, and where, the fracture had occurred, I am unable to suggest. In conclusion, I might say that I had known the mare ever since she was foaled, and having seen her almost daily, would have heard of any accident that might have happened to her.
PARTIAL DISLOCATION OF CERVICAL VERTEBRlE. BY R. LEWIS GREEN, M.R.C.V. S. , DUDLEY.
S UBJEcT .-An aged waggon-horse . HISTORY. ---':I was called in to see this animal, and on arrival found him standing with head hanging down and twice its normal size, the nose only two inches from the ground and paralysis of the lips, with neck swollen a third of the way down. Neither the owner nor his men could give me any material help as to the cause of this; all they knew was, they found him in this condition at 7 a.m. Manipulation of the head and neck in this position revealed nothing, consequently suspected an obstruction of a large blood-vessel, so advised the owner to float him to our infirmary; this he did the same day. On arrival be was placed in a loose box, a strong head-stall with a ring in nose band, to which was attached a rope running through a pulley in the ceiling put on, and his head slung about manger high ; this operation caused pain and in this position I could see the nose was turned to the left, paralysis of the lips more noticeable. The head was kept slung in this position all night, when to my great surprise on visiting him next morning the excessive swelling of the head and neck had entirely disappeared, but the paralysis of the lips continued ; the animal was unable to raise the head any higher, or support it when the sling was removed. From this fact I came to the