Chinese Journal Of Clinical Anatomy ›› 2017, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (3): 301-306.doi: 10.13418/j.issn.1001-165x.2017.03.014

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The proprioceptive changes of the ACL and hamstring in the cynomolgus monkeys’ ACL injury of one knee as a model

ZHANG Lei 1,2, GUO Xiao-guang 2, QI Ji 1, ZHOU Xin 2, WANG Guo-you 2, FU Shi-jie 2, LI Yi-kai1   

  1. 1. Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510515, China;  2. Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Sichuan Province, Luzhou 646000, China
  • Received:2016-12-08 Online:2017-05-25 Published:2017-06-23

Abstract:

Objective To explore the changes of proprioceptors of bilateral anterior cruciate ligaments and hamstring muscle and its causes after injury of the unilateral anterior cruciate ligament in cynomolgus monkeys. a. Methods We  chose 6 normal cynomolgus monkeys and randomly selected 3 monkeys to establish unilateral ACL injury model under arthroscopy. All the knee joints  were divided into three groups: the normal group (3 normal knees), and the model group A (3 uninjured knees in the models ) and the model group B (3 injured knees in the models). Then we respectively harvested the ACL and hamstrings to conduct HE and the gold chloride  staining  for demonstration of the basic shape of ligament and the morphology and quantity of proprioceptors. Results We observed the four types of proprioceptors in the ligament and hamstring in three groups. 4 weeks after operation, wecompared the morphology and quantity of all proprioceptors in the normal group and the model group A, and no significant change and difference in statistics were observed (P>0.05). In the model group B, the Ruffini's corpuscles, the Pacinian corpuscles and the Golgi tendon organs had morphological variation, and the number of various types of proprioceptors had declined, and the difference was significant in statistics (P<0.01). Nevertheless, the morphology of free nerve endings had no change. In addition, Ruffini's corpuscles had the largest number of morphological variation, followed by Pacinian corpuscles and Golgi tendon organs in a declining order, significant differences in statistics were observed(P<0.01). Conclusions The injured ACL can make the number of proprioceptors decrease in the same side, and even the morphological variation, and the hamstring’s proprioceptors in the same side also have the corresponding changes through reflective effects of the ACL-hamstring reflex arc. However, the injury will not affect the contralateral proprioceptors’ morphology and quantity in a short period of time.

Key words: Proprioceptor; , Anterior cruciate ligament; , Hamstrings