Page 77 - Manual of Equine Field Surgery

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Lateral Digital Extensor Tenectomy 73

proximal portion of the incision so that at least 2

cm of muscle is removed (Figure 11-3,D). If nec-

essary, the remaining muscle stump is cauterized

or oversewn with absorbable suture material in a

Halstead or Cushing pattern. Some surgeons

believe the success rate of the surgery increases

with removal of more muscle, and in some cases

recurrence of stringhalt has been treated with

resection of an additional 3 to 4 inches of lateral

digital extensor muscle.v' The crural fasciae are

then closed with a simple interrupted or

simple continuous pattern with No. 0 synthetic

absorbable suture material. Closure of the subcu-
Figure 11-1 Marked hyperflexion of the hock in a

horse with a stringhalt gait. taneous tissue is optional. The skin is closed with

No. 0 suture material in an interrupted or contin-

uous pattern of the surgeon's choice. The distal

incision requires closure of the skin only .

•

Long digital -~

extensor m.

Lateral digital

extensor m. -~

B

Tendon of lateral

digital extensor m.

Tendon of long

digital extensor m. -----:l~, .JI,..>\ Long digital
extensor tendon-~

•
• •
Digital extensor

retinaculum
Lateral digital

extensor tendon ••

~; .. .t,.,•"'
'it ... , , # ~ i

c

A

~-~ t,;_:±-(-10 ___

Figure 11-2 A, Location of the lateral digital extensor muscle and tendon with cross sections near B, the muscle-

tendon junctions and C, distal incision site.