title: A Morphologic and Quantitative Study of Mechanoreceptors in the Remnant Stump of the Human Anterior Cruciate Ligament.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the morphology and quantity of mechanoreceptors in the remnant stumps of injured anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) and the association of the number of mechanoreceptors with the time from injury to surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Complete ACL stump specimens were collected from 40 volunteer patients who underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction surgery. Serial sections, 20 μm in thickness, were prepared from each specimen. After H&E staining and immunohistochemical labeling, the morphology, type, size, and quantity of the mechanoreceptors were observed under an optical microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 176 Ruffini corpuscles, 61 pacinian corpuscles, 15 Golgi-like tendon organs, and 66 atypical mechanoreceptors were observed. Free nerve endings were commonly present in the specimens. The time from injury to surgery (log10 days) was negatively correlated with the number of total mechanoreceptors (r = -0.43, P < .006), Ruffini corpuscles (r = -0.45, P < .003), and the volume of the ACL stump (r = -0.52, P < .01), and these correlations were independent of age, gender, injury side, and career.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of mechanoreceptors in an ACL stump and the volume of the stump decreased with the time from injury to surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a further theoretical basis for ACL reconstruction with remnant preservation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Injury and Arthroscopy Surgery, China National Institute of Sports Medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Injury and Arthroscopy Surgery, China National Institute of Sports Medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jingbin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Injury and Arthroscopy Surgery, China National Institute of Sports Medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Injury and Arthroscopy Surgery, China National Institute of Sports Medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Injury and Arthroscopy Surgery, China National Institute of Sports Medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhikun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Injury and Arthroscopy Surgery, China National Institute of Sports Medicine, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Education, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen, China.
authors.forename: Haiwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Injury and Arthroscopy Surgery, China National Institute of Sports Medicine, Beijing, China. Electronic address: fangxiangli321@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Fangxiang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Injury and Arthroscopy Surgery, China National Institute of Sports Medicine, Beijing, China. Electronic address: ligp@263.net.
authors.forename: Guoping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D059549:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction; D001182:Arthroscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D055815:Young Adult