Precarpal subcutaneous bursa

The precarpal subcutenous bursa is a bursa deep to the skin on the dorsal surface of the carpus in ruminants and horses. It is mentioned in the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria and illustrated by Constantinescu and Schaller (2012).

In the literature, the precarpal subcutaneous bursa is most often referred to as an acquired bursa rather than a congenital bursa. It may appear following repeated trauma to the carpus (such as knocks on doors) or a fall. It is characterised by a painless, fluctuating and uniform swelling of the soft tissues on the dorsal surface of the carpus, unrelated to the carpal joints or tendon sheaths.