A Manual of Operative Surgery on the Dead Body (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1859 Excerpt: ... its concavity turned towards the tarsus; it lies just in front of the heads of the corresponding metatarsal bones, which latter can be plainly distinguished in any foot. To ascertain the situation of the tarsal articulations, the operator, pulling the right foot over the edge of the table, and facing the body (turning his attention to the inner side of the foot), should place the forefinger of his right hand on the inner malleolus, and draw the point of the finger down the inner side of the foot. His attention will first be arrested by the tubercle of the scaphoid bone (fig. 22), which here forms a marked prominence, exceedingly useful as a guide, firstly to the articulation between it and the astragalus, opened in Chopart's amputation; and secondly, to its joint with the internal cuneiform bone; the latter of these articulations is situated half an inch in front of the prominence, the former lies a quarter of an inch behind it. Tracing onwards along the inner border of the foot, the projection of the proximal end of the first metatarsal bone may perhaps be distinguished, indicating the situation of the joint between that bone and the inner cuneiform, opened in performing Lisfranc's operation. But a more sure guide to the situation of this joint is afforded, by considering that it lies an inch and a half in front of the tubercle of the scaphoid bone (fig. 22), the latter point being easy of recognition. Turning now to the other side of the foot, let the operator place the forefinger of the left hand on the outer malleolus, and trace along the outer border of the tarsus; here he will meet with two prominences, both deserving of attention. The first, a small, but sharply defined point of bone on the Chap, Vii. POSITION OF THE TARSAL ARTICULATIONS. 91 os calc...