The dynamic response of feline Golgi tendon organs during recovery from nerve injury

Neurosci Lett. 1996 Apr 5;207(3):179-82. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(96)12527-1.

Abstract

The dynamic response of tendon organs to isometric contractions of activating motor units has been examined during recovery from nerve crush or nerve transection followed by suture repair. After nerve crush the characteristic response was rapidly restored, although the early and late phases of the dynamic response were altered differentially. Following nerve transection, recovery was much poorer and many responses were abnormal. Normal responses were only observed in a minority of tendon organ-motor unit interactions but every tendon organ studied did respond normally to at least one motor unit, with a range of dynamic sensitivities similar to normal. This suggests that the abnormalities observed reflect changes in the mechanical input to the organ, due to motor unit reorganisation, rather than abnormalities of the transduction process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cats
  • Mechanoreceptors / physiology*
  • Motor Neurons / physiology*
  • Nerve Crush*
  • Nerve Regeneration / physiology*
  • Time Factors