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THESIS
ON THE
DISEASES OF BONE
CAUSING LAMENESS
io
Frank P. Normington,.’95

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THESIS y ) Ky ( Vid. Ao

 
THESIS

On

THE DISEASES CF BONS CAUSING LAMENESS.

By

FRAUX P. MORMINGTON,

Class of ‘95.
DISEASES OF BONES CAUSING LAMENESS.

-------- o00--------

Tue subject may seem narrow but when we consider that the
subjects “Germ Theory of Disease“, Inflamations, Fracture, Ne-
crosis, Anchylosis, and Exostasis are all incluced, we se that
it is a broad one,indeed, much too broad to do justice to ir
so short an article.

Germ Theory of Disease.

 

Experiments have shown tnat all fermentation is due to mi-
cro-organisms, The change of cidsr into vinezar, the growth of
yeast, tho decay of the apple, the souring of milk, are all ac-
complished by bacteria. Scientific investigation has shown tht
consumption, dipntheria, measles, etc., are due to the work of
germs. While we cannot believe that all disease is the result
of invasion of tne economy by some germ, yet we are forced to
believe that many of the ills of life that. have been wrapped in
mystery may be laid at the door of the microbe.

Medicine has always been considered a mysteriaus science.
Medicines were given because of some mysterious property wnich
they were supposed to possess in driving away disease. Now
they are given to destroy the germ which produces the disease,
and are als given because of certain known actions.

It may seem that this does not apply to bone diseases, but
we must consider that the bones are often made fragile because
of debilitating disorders or the presence of cancers; moreover

' there are germs that attack bone,---for example, attinimicosis

and tuberiiular ostitis.

}nflamation.

 

This is an exceaiingly important branch of our topic. In-

- deed, most diseases «re either the cause or the result of in-

flamation. Nearly all the cass ot lameness are due to the in-
4OKA SS
9.

flamation of some part, thereby causing pain. It has been
' variously defined by different authors. Williams defines it to
| be *a perverted nutrition of a living part, tne effect of irri-
tation or injury"
The fluid part of the blood, to nourish the tissues, must
| pass through the walls of the blood vessels. Ir inflamation
this action is generally increased, the change of the ransu-
“ded liquor sanguinus is rapid, and tne mode of growth is c
Changed. Irritation causes the production of lymph faster
than it can be removed whicn causis an exudation. This in-
flamed condition general]: causes pain due to the pressure of
the nerves or to the stretching of them; the firm:r the swell-
ing, the more painful, thus the confined inflamation is more
“painful than that of outer tissue. This is well illustrated

| in inflamed bores and in laminitis.

As one would naturally expect, the increased amount of
blood present causes a redness of the part. This increased
-amyint at blooduand the extreme activity of change in «he part,
causes heat. This has been shown by experiments, though if one
could but notices, ho can easily detect, the increasea heat ot
the part.

Inflamation usually results in impairment of theo part; the
‘terminations are: restoration, sunpurstion, ulceration, and
‘mortification, or in bone, necrosis. tho treatment we snall
‘omit, until we come to tne aiseases tnemselves.

Exostasis.

Another very important action to be considered is that of
‘exostesis. It is any tmnatural enlargement or protrusion of
‘bone. This seems to be an effort of nature to strengthen some
‘weak part or unite two parts which are inflamed and thus cure
‘the disease. For instance, it occurs in splint, ring-bone, ani
‘in the process of anchylosis. Wnen even the periostium is in-
jured and inflamation is set up or even an increased flow of
blood, tissue is likely to be converted into bome. An intiam-

|
 
3.

ation of a joint is apt to change tne articular cartilage into
bone and if this process goes fav enouzn it results in anchylo-
sis of the bones.

Archvlosis.
Anchylosis is defined to be the union of two or more bones
of a joint so that unev become as one, due t. inflamation in tx
joint from disease, irritation, or counter-irritarts. It is te
process whith the veterinarian tvies to .ssten in treating
ring-bone or spavin. When the process of anch;losis 1s com-
plete, «he severe inflamation ceases and the horse uses tue

part without, pain, thou; the motion is necessarily impaired.

Fracture of Bones.

Fareturs is an accident that causes much pain and incon-
venience and often terminates seriously, endings sometimes with
death. So that it seems highly proper in this connection to
consider it as a disease. Fracture is aefined to be ‘solution
in the continuity of bone", and due to some unusual stress. the
fracture may bo transverse, longitudinal, or oblique, and is
known as: simple , compuond, comninuted, impacted and partial.
Tre presence of a fractures may be diagnosed by the pain, in-
ability to bear weight, the shortening of tne limb, ard c:cpits
or grating of the broken erds when manipulated.

The bores should be set as soon as possible and, since ths
process of healing is slow ard tne bones comparatively inflex-
ible, the parts should on some way be secured against move-
ment. If it is a limb, splints o! various kiids may be used,
of which probably poro-paster is one of the best.

The process of union consists of (1) an exudation of lymph,
forming an elastic union; this 1s followed by a subsvance wh
which resembles cartilage, called provisional callous; uhe
third proces oonsists in cnanging the tumors of the provision-
al callous into bone and the formation of fibro-cartilage be-
tween the ajaccent, surfaces, called the permanent callous; the

fourth stiace eonsiata of thea eaanrvarainn anf thiac Fihwnananant i laren
 

 
-4-

tnto true bone which completes the welding procéss. It gener-
ally requires a year, more or less, for the absorption of this
provisional callous and then the process is complete.

Having considered fracture, inflamation, and anchylosis,
with exostasis, let us consider more more closely the subject
lameness. The definition is,-"Lamenes is the manifestation in
the act of progression by anv ore or more of the limbs, of pain
or weakness, inability or impediment: From this we see that
lameness is not a disease, it is only the svmpbmm. Hence we
cure lameness by curing ti.e disease of wnich the lameness is a2
symptom. A: rse may have an anchylosed joint, or may have an
exostasis tic interferes with presression an. yet not Have
pain; bat as a rule the larenes is uue to pain caused by in-
flamation or ulceration of a joint or irjury f.o some of tne

hissues.

splint.
This as a disease thm may or may not cause lameness.

ver
WO

nave seen that fibro-cartilaze may chanse into bore, ani tnis

is wnat oceurs in splint. Tne splint) bones are situated on
tio inner side of the cannor bone and are connected to it by
tm elastic substarce composed of ecartilace and of fibre cross-
ing ewch otner diagonally. Hence tne rave splint. Tre splint,
my be the result of an injury causing; inflematiorn of the part,
but usua lly it seems to be an efYort of rature to strenzti.on
the part. It usually occurs in your- enimals which are over-
taxed or strained in some way. The over’ axing of the part
causes an increased action or even inflamation, the bones be-
come anchylosed and we have a splint. Usually, however, tie
exostasis occurs as a lump at the place of union, about midway
between the heel and pastern. Sometimes the inftlemation and
exostasis is limited to the fibro-cartilage and since this is
insensible no lameness results. There ma’ be quit? a tumor
formed and, if th: periostium be not inflamed, the horse will

go sound, but the periostium may become affected and the horse
go very lame especially when trotted.

Usually the splint causes lameness or the exostasis 1s so
large as to be an eyo-sore; it snoulu not as a rule be treaicd.
We cannot, nore to convert tm bone back into cartilage, but
zenorally the exostasis ‘may be reduced ana the pain removed.

mM}.
th

mar we placed in hot water for twenty alute , tree times a du

0

treatment resorted to is generally simple. The horse's I;

day for four days. Percival recomrends a counter-irritant in

the form of a blister. His aprlication is eotum cantharadum

which is sponged off in eight or tern nours snd every mornin.,

and night as lons as there is a discharsze from the blistered
part. <A good blister to drive away tne splint is maue uy mix-
ins ons par’ of biniodide of mercury wits, ci-nt paris of lard.
If the exostasis is a large tumor, the coverin.; may be re-
moved anu bie tumor cut off with a fine sav made for the pur-
pose. Periosteotomy is sometimes performed. The skin is cut
through and tron the periostium is slitted which velleves he
tension. The blister avcomplish:s the same end as t.e last
tivo operations ard is les neroic.

opavin.
Althouzh the term spavin is applied to three ages .iiscasrs
(bone-spavin, bog-spavin, and b lood-spavin) “a Shall consider

/bul tne one, bone spuvin. It is an exostasis on the antero-

int-rnal part of the nock, seldom if ever found on the outside,
sometimes producing caries of ons or more of the srticulatory
surfaces and usually producing anchylosis. It is called either
high or low, according as it affects the upper part of the
join. or the head of the large matatarsal.

Som? consider spavin as hereditary. In one sense this is so
fo many horses have a natural weakness of t::e hock which pre-
disposes it to spavin. Some breeds are particularly subject Lo
it while others appear to possess almast immmity. Percival
believes in the existence of ossific diathesis in the system.

' Rapidly crowing colts, especially if worked are likely to
-6-

suffer from wliis disease. The excitinrs causes are concussion
of the joints and strains or sprains. Suc: werk as biuckins
heavy .ocds or gallopir.: with a heavy toad on he back are ose
pecialiy likely» to produce spavin.
A -pavir is detected vb» lameness ada lump or Lumor irie

a walnut or lar-or. Vis tumor may or may not cause
pain ami pain may be prosent vithout the tumor. ne jameness
is recvlicr in tea it ceuses a risins ond fallin, of tiie
lump. Tao laveness may ve caussa by a stiffening of tae joint,
from an exostasis or irflemat'on of ine nari, or it may ue pro-

evil ur severe pair fron acute inflemation of tne joint or
ealde ulesretior of tne part. Tne lameness improves wit... pro-
2rossion, but if v.90 norse be elloved to stand Lor a ovhile, it
j

wors? asain. A snavin often causcs themuscles on the af-

Cu

1

“orse digs nis toe into t.?

QA

S
fected side to bLesone shrm@nxen, ine
zround ard the toe of the shoe vill ve worn off, and in th: sf/
stable, the norse rests foot, on the toe, if woth less are af-
fected, the norse rests first ome ani then the other.

In treating spavin ve do rot expect to restore the origi-
nal tissue por ‘remove whe exostasis. Tne ain is to hasten the

process of the disease. W.n anchylosis nas taken place, then

the pain ceases and the norse goes comparatively sound. If the

anchylosis takes place in the lower joint or the hock, slmost
no signs of lameness will remain, tnougn if it be hi:h the mo-
tion will be much impaired.

The line of treatmert for tris di sease is counter-irri-
tant; other methods are used but this is che pranciple io be
pursued. Firsu of all we musu site che horse rest, this is the
most important of all. Rest alone Ras been known to cur.
navine secure rest for the animal, a common method is to fire
and follow this with a blister. It makes but little diffcrence
what the shape of the iron is so long as it. produces lines.

As a rule the lines should be parallel and follo’ the cours»

of the hair as tnis wili leave lessof a scar. Firing for this

| disease should be severe, especially where other counter-
~/-

“irritants nave failed. As a rule tho deepervihe firing, tne

i more likely it is to affect a cure.

For the first two days after firing there will be but, lit-
| tle change, but the swelling will sradually increase and there
will be found a sero-albuzinous fluid of an oranve color, ex-

u ding. About the fifth om sixth day pus will be discharged.
Thés will incrsas® in amoune fru day vu day unval Sonal ul-
cerasion follows and the whole su:face is .aw, she swetling aint

' uhe meanv.me groving less amd less. Finally the stage of ul-

: ceration fs followed by granulations and nati~e replaces the

skin. As soon as dischaszes cease the part should te fomented

and sme o1l used to keep the pact soft.

A fw orite remodv of some is the seton. It is a very ser-
viceable wemedv tn periosteal spavin, bu’, for articular spavin
Percival considers acunal cautery to be preferable. It is tne
common p.acuice vO pass but one seton and wie from above di-
eoculy acwos vhe tumor, tnepassage of the s»ton on the other
side of the hock which will greatly aid in producing anchylosis
After passing ti:2 seton it. should not be moved until sufficien
inflamation occurs, after ‘his if, must be moved often cnougn to
nrevent the formation oi absceses under tne skin. While the
seton is recommended only for periosteal spavin, yet 1t may
sometimes be usad in cases of articular spavim; for instance
a norse ‘hat has ones ben fired and yet sets lame. Hereove can-
not, fire again and a seton may affe:t a cure.

An action vory similar to tne sctton is accomplished by the
blister, though probably it is the least efficient of the ty/
three methods. If a blister is to be used, it must be a very
severe ons. It may usually be applied three times, if this
Pails it is better to try something else. For a blistor ma e
an ointment containing bichloride o1 mercury ad Venice tur-
pentine, or biniodide ofmercury, on? part to eight or tard.
Another good blister is a mixture of equal parts of biniodide
of mercury and cantharades one part of ‘he mixture t o elgnt o

of lard.
-8-

All these methods tend to produce anenylosis of th: joint
and hence in the ordinary senses, prowuces a cure. Tnat remedy
wiict produces anenylosis of the bones of the hock, the quicx-
est is the best. As soon as the diseasedg#d joints a e ancny-
losed the main joint of thev hock remaining free, tne horse is
said to be cured.

- Rine Bone.

' eocens- washes are

Ring-bone is a bony tumor usually situa:ed on tho pastern

bore ard after pasing clear arouhd the bone. It is termed high

wien effectin: the pastern joint and low when efvect.img the
coffin joint. This $$ but arotior for: of exostasis and may

or ma not cause lamenes. It occurs more often on the hind lib
than on the fore; ani is oftenest seen in horses vith upright,
pasterns and coazse bones, it seldom occurs in hign bred ani-
mals. In general the causes, for this are the same astgose for
spavin,--injury, strain, anu concusion. A yung horse put to
severe work, violent racing and whirling or an injury to the xy
part; picking up a nail or being caulked. The horse witn up-

right pasterns receives all the coneusion on the ends of the

-pasterns which excites inflamation, while the pyyig¢ur oblique
S

'pastern springs and avoids the coneusion. We may consider this

disease hereditary, for «he offspring of animals having ring-

‘bones ar® prone io have them also and strains are sometimes

. predisposed to them.

Often in the beginning there is laxeness without apparent
cause, and later a ring-bome will form/ This lameness is pe-
7

Culiar in that it is in the front leg, the animal bringd the
heal down first and if in the hind leg, the toe is brought down

first. The lameness improves with progression but is worse af-

'tor a hard day's work. In the early stage there will be tever

in the part, spring seems to be the time heni it isJ likely to
come on. By wetting tne legs and comparing them, any tumor will
show,

The treatment of this disease is similar to that for splint
and snpavin, tre object bein» to produce anch¥lnsis as eann ae
- posible. In advanced stages, the disease is incurable. In ta
tne early stage, give rest and apply a soothing remedy; fromen- |

-10-

 

tations as hot as animal will bear it for twenty minutes thre .
times a dav for eight days. Arter resting a while repeat. In
later stages apply counter-irritsnts as for spavin. In all

_ cases firing must be resorted to.

When all other remedies have failed, there is yet left one
resort. We perform ncurotomy., which consists in cutting
the nerve above the part affected andtnus removing aid feeling
and hence all lameness. This is acc-mplishea by throwing the
horse, holding his leg out straight, and cutting a slit one
inch long above the fetlock and in front of the tendon. The
cellular tisue is then dissected out ard the nerve separated
‘rom the nerve and artery, whicn are all in one sheath, by a
marrow tape; then placines a knife under the nerve, cut as near
tie upper end of tne slit as posible and tren a& hebottom. The
injection of cocaine avove the point of opsration will greatly
lessen *he pain. The horse must then be rolled over «nd the
other side of the leg operated upon. Th e results of this op-
eration ae often very gratifying, not only in vin;-bone but in
navicular arthrigtis. Aiter this operation, the horse must be
kept shod «nd the foot closely watched; as th= horse has no f
fecling ond miznt pick up a stone or anal ana show no signs
of if until it had caused serious trouble. A horse thusx opers
tea upon strikes his foot, much naracr than before and would
pound it +o pieces were it not for his shoes. An untoward
result sometimes follows, the tissues undergoing fatty degen-

eration.

Navicular Arthritis.

This disease is lameness of the navicular joint, suprosec
by some to be due to inflamation of the navicular bone an. by
others to be due to an abnormal condition of the flexor pedis
perforans. Probably it) may result from eitier. The disease af-

ee ee ee

fects the under dide of the bone, or the upper surface of the

nerforens tandan. At. firet. thorn ge ianflsematian whinah ie
-jl-

| followed by ulceration of the cartilage and finally by adhesion
of the tendon and bone. There is often quite extensive caries,
sometimes enough to fracture the Bone.

Perhaps tnis disease is hereditary to a greater defree than
any of the otfrs which we have mentioned. A horse with a
contracted hoof is not, as might be supposed, particularly sub-
_jeet to the disease, though contraction is likely to rollow as
a result, but the horse with a prominent frog and hard, unyict
ding hoofs is much more subject to an attack. This is easily
-umderstood when we considor that the excitine cause is usually
_ frog pressure from nard work or stony roads.

In this disease thc lameness comes and goes. The nors? is

lam without apparent, cause. The lameness seoms to wear off
when the animal gets warmed up, but is worse the next day. When

standing the animal points tae lame foot. T:.¢ horse in trying
to save his frog brings nis weignt on his toes and tlerefore
ears the toe of: his shoe. After the disease has made s me
progress, tne structure of the foot, becomes atrofied and con-
traction ensues. The affected foot appears smaller whi fA is
the opposite of ring-bone. When both feot are affected the
horse digs his toos into the ground and is said o be “groggy”.
Thisisa dis ase which the veterinarian dreads to handte. In
the early stage, or wher only the tendon is affected, it may be
‘cured, but when the bone bmes diseased, it is practically in-
curable.

When lameness first, appears, Percival recomends, having
‘shoes removed, hoofs pared thin and t:.e walls rasped down thin,
: foot bathed in warm water every day and poulticed,and at the

| end of a week, the shoo is tagked on again. With this he also
' pives a pargative. Much good may be done by standing te animal
in a running stream of water every day for sevral hours at a

| time, or by maine a clay puddle of blue clay, salt and water,

| and standing tav animal in it. A favorite practice of s me is
‘to draw from six to,eight pints of blood form the foot and ap-
“ply 40 the coronst or pastern, a mild blister of ca bharades.

 

ccc Se ce ee em sil Mline—eoemes
-1]2-

A more severe blistering is s metimes performed by clipping the
hair from the fetlock down and applying a strong blister. Some
pss a frog seton but this is not much used. Whatever method
is t be pursued, :t is to be remembered tha. rest must be

_ given.

When all else has fai led, ‘ve nave yet left a process that
often works mucn good. I refer to t.¢e operation of neurotomy

which ‘ras described under ring-bone.

Rheumatism and diseases of Joints might properly be consi-
dered in this connection, however, they are not strictly bone
diseases and we will omei'. them from our list.

Having considered these diseases, what, conclusions muy we
draw? First we noticed that the discases are to a -rea de-

gree hereditary, therefore the ude of mares if infected with

this disease for breeding purposes, and tne use of such stal-

lions should n°ver be permitted. Discreet breeiing would to a
ercat degree eliminate tle unsoundness of horses. We may con-
cluie tiat exostasis s an effort otf nature to cur the disease
or to strengthen t:.e part. In treating these diseases we sinhld
try to hasten the processes ofnature ratuer than atugonize than

We must in all ca es give rest. Counter-irritation is the line

of treatment to which we resort, in treating these disexses. In
incuranle caes of ring-bons anu navicular uissas¢e, neurotomy
not, only restores the animal 1.0 a poriod of usefulness, but
but. relieves it of much pain and hence is to be recommended.
 

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