Histochemical profile of muscle spindles of rat's sural muscles

Pullout forces of sutures in muscle lacerations

The purpose of this study was to determine if complex suture techniques had higher pullout forces from muscle tissue than conventional stitching. Using transected cadaver muscle bellies, we performed repairs with various suture techniques and measured pullout forces. Epimyseal repair with conventional stitches (Kessler, figure eight, horizontal mattress) was inferior to complex stitches (modified Mason-Allen, perimeter). The combined complex stitches (perimeter and Mason-Allen) were strongest. Conventional stitches failed longitudinally through the muscle, whereas complex stitches failed transversely across the muscle. The complex combination of perimeter and Mason-Allen stitches had superior pullout resistance compared to conventional stitches.

Mechanoreceptors in human myotendinous junction

The sensory-nerve-ending system of 40 myotendinous junctions of human palmaris longus and plantaris muscles was studied histologically. All the known four types of nerve endings were identified. The Ruffini corpuscles could be found in equally small numbers (one to five) in both the muscular and tendineal sites of the junction. Also the free nerve endings were distributed equally on both sites. The Pacini corpuscles were frequent in the tendineal site (six to 14), but rare in the muscular site (one to three). The Golgi tendon organs were, in turn, frequent in the muscular site (nine to 12) but rare in the tendineal site (one to four), respectively. Within the muscle and tendon parts of the junction, the distance between two mechanoreceptors was always more than 250 microns and the receptor distribution was homogeneous. Further studies are needed to give functional explanation for these anatomic findings.