title: Sensory innervation of the cervical facet joints in rats.
abstract: METHODS
  With a retrograde neurotracing method with Fluoro-Gold (FG; Fluorochrome, Denver, CO), the level of dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) innervating the C1-C2, C3-C4, and C5-C6 facet joints and their pathways were investigated in rats.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the levels of DRGs and parasympathetic nodose ganglions innervating the cervical facet joints and to determine the pathways from the facet joint to DRGs.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Patients with cervical facet lesions and whiplash sometimes experience diffuse neck pain, headache, arm, and shoulder pain, but the pattern of sensory innervation of the facet joint is still unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Fluoro-gold crystals (FG) were applied into the C1-C2 (C1-C2 group), C3-C4 (C3-C4 group) and C5-C6 (C5-C6 group) facet joints, and numbers of the labeled neurons in DRGs from C1 to T5 and nodose ganglions were determined. To determine the sensory pathway, bilateral sympathectomy was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neurons labeled with FG were present in the DRGs from C1 through C8 in the C1-C2 group, from C1 to T2 in the C3-C4 group, and from C3 to T3 in the C5-C6 group without sympathectomy. In the nodose ganglions, 17 FG-labeled neurons were present. The number of the labeled neurons after sympathectomy was not significantly different in the C1, C2, and C3 DRGs in the C1-C2 group, in the C3 and C4 DRGs in the C3-C4 group, and in the C5 and C6 DRGs in the C5-C6 group from that in the groups without sympathectomy. In contrast, the number of labeled neurons in the DRGs was significantly less at the other levels than that in the groups without sympathectomy (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sensory nerve fibers of the cervical facet joint were derived from the C1-T3 DRGs. Some sensory nerves from the cervical facet joint entered the paravertebral sympathetic trunks and reached the DRGs at multisegmental levels. The present findings regarding the multisegmental innervation to the facet joint may be of importance in the treatment of facet joint syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. 97MD0526@insei.m.chiba-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohtori
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sameda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moriya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009620:Nodose Ganglion / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013266:Stilbamidines; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C049774:2-hydroxy-4,4'-diamidinostilbene, methanesulfonate salt; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D013266:Stilbamidines