Origins of Dorsal Root Ganglion Cells Innervating Medial, Lateral Collateral Ligaments and Patellar Tendon of the Rat Knee Joint / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: The present study was designed to examine the distribution and type of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells innervating the medial and lateral collateral ligaments and patellar tendons of the rat knee joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selectively injected neural tracers (FG and HRP) into both collateral ligaments and patellar tendons and then charaterized the distribution and type of DRG cells in section. RESULTS: FG-labelled DRG cells, innervating the medial and lateral collateral ligaments, were located in L1-S3 (former) and L1-L5 (later). The HRP-labelled DRG cells innervating the medial and lateral collateral ligaments were smaller than 600 m2. FG-labelled DRG cells innervating the patellar tendons were found in L1 to S1. The HRP-labelled cells innervating the patellar tendons were variable in size (100 m2 to 3000 m2). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the DRG origins of sensory nerves in the collateral ligaments and the patellar tendon of the rat knee joint are different. The majority of DRG cells innervating the patellar tendons are proprioceptive and mechanoceptive sensory cells. This finding suggests that the patellar ligaments have more neurological functions than the collateral ligaments.

Origings of Dorsal Root Ganaglion Cells Innervating Anterior and Posterior Cruciate Ligaments of the Rat Knee Joint

PURPOSE: The present study was designed to examine the distribution of dorsal root ganglion(DRG) cells innervating the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments of the Sprague-Dawley rat knee joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fluoro-gold(FG) was used to identify the distribution of DRG cells innervating the ligaments, and horseradish peroxidase(HRP) was used to measure the DRG cell size innervating the ligaments. RESULTS: Neural tracers-labelled DRG cells were found ipsilaterally only in the lumbosacra1 DRGs. FG-labelled DRG cells innervating the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments were found from the 1st lumbar DRG to the 1st sacral DOR(L1-Sl). The majority of FG-labelled DRG cells innervating the poste-rior cruciate ligaments were located in the L4, and the majority innervating the anterior cruciate ligaments were found in the L3, The size of HRP-labelled DRG cells innervating the cruciate ligaments was below 800 micromiter (c), showing that these cells were small. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the DRG origin of sensory nerves is different in each cruciate ligament of the knee joint. But the size and the type innervating each ligament is similar.