title: Mechanoreceptors in collateral knee ligaments: an animal experiment.
abstract: The mechanoreceptors in the collateral ligaments of the knee joint in rat hindlimbs were studied. In group II (n=10) the femoral and obturator nerves were sectioned. In both groups III and V (n=20) the sciatic nerve was sectioned. In group V (n=10) the sectioned sciatic nerve was sutured 4 weeks after sectioning. In group IV (n=10) all three nerves were sectioned. Group I (n=10) served as control. After 4 months all animals were killed. The ligaments of the knee joint were preserved and stained with gold chloride, paraffin-embedded and cut in sagittal serial sections. The results showed that 4 months after partial or total denervation of the limb, there was necrosis and a decrease in the number of mechanoreceptors, which was dependent upon the severity and site of the lesion. After suture of the sciatic nerve the increase in mechanoreceptors suggested a regenerative process.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Histology and Biopathology Laboratory, School of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delgado-Baeza
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Utrilla-Mainz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Contreras-Porta
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Santos-Alvarez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martos-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003714:Denervation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000473:pathology*; D017888:Medial Collateral Ligament, Knee / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology*; D009336:Necrosis; D009776:Obturator Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery