title: Quantitative diameter analysis of lingual nerve axons in man.
abstract: Previous studies on axon counts and fiber-diameter spectra in lingual nerves have been carried out only on animal models. This study reports an histological investigation on a series of 20 lingual nerves removed post mortem from human subjects. The results show wide variation in the myelinated fiber counts--a variation which does not appear to be related to the ages of the subjects. When the results are compared with those of a previous study (Heasman and Beynon, 1983), it is seen that the lingual nerve:inferior dental nerve ratio of axon counts is not a consistent index. The fiber-diameter spectrum for the human lingual nerve is characterized by a bimodal curve with the more pronounced peak in the small-diameter fiber range.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Heasman
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Beynon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001369:Axons; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008036:Lingual Nerve / Q000166:cytology*; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000166:cytology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated; D011897:Random Allocation