Functional anatomy of the equine tarsocrural collateral ligaments.

Equine tarsocrural collateral ligaments (CL) were dissected grossly. The areas of attachment and fiber arrangements were described for the long lateral CL, long medial CL, 3 short lateral CL, and 3 short medial CL. Sequential cutting of CL in any order indicated that the short medial CL were responsible for the snap-joint phenomenon observed at the equine tarsocrural joint.