Surgical Treatment of SDF, DDF and Suspensory Ligament Rapture by Locking Loop Suture Technique in a Dairy Cow

A 2.5 Year old Holstein cow weighting 550.00 kg with a history of ruptured tendon of right hind leg was referred to the Department of Veterinary Surgery of the Shiraz University. She was in term pregnancy and delivered a calf a day before she developed that accident. The local Veterinarian could manage to suture just the skin right away to only stop the bleedings. On the presentation the cow was in good general condition, lame on right hind and walking on its fetlock joint. The cow was anesthetized and the right hind leg was prepared aseptically from the hock to the toe.
The wound sutures were removed and the incision was extended proximally and distally, there was a sharp cut in suspensory ligament, deep digital flexor and superficial digital flexor tendons. Using stainless steel wire no.2 the suspensory ligament was sutured by a single locking loop suture pattern and two single double right angle suture, then deep flexor tendon was sutured in similar way except 3 double right angle suture was used . The superficial flexor tendon was also suture in similar pattern. The subcutaneous tissue was apposed, then the skin was sutured using lock stitch pattern by Vicryl no.2. Then the area was bandaged and the leg was casted routinely using 30 loops of 10 Cm wide cast from above the hock joint to the toe ...