Comment on "Two enigmas in proprioception: abundance and location of muscle spindles" by T. Kokkorogiannis.
I present observations on the numbers and distributions of muscle spindles indicating that spindle number is an important controlled variable of muscle design, but the distribution of spindles within a muscle is not. Although our understanding of the functional correlates of spindle number is far from complete, I argue that nothing that is known about their number or distribution is inconsistent with them acting as length sensors, in contradiction to Kokkorogiannis's comment [Brain Res. Bull., this issue] on Windorst's review [U. Windhorst, Muscle proprioceptive feedback and spinal networks, Brain Res. Bull. 73 (2007) 155-202].
Banks
R W
RW
School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, South Road, Durham, UK. r.w.banks@durham.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009470:Muscle Spindles / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception