Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Pain pp 121–124Cite as

Articular Afferents, Morphology

  • Reference work entry

  • 66 Accesses

Synonyms

Articular Sensory Receptors; Sensory Endings in Joint Tissues

Definition

Afferent nerve fibers innervating articular tissues, in a narrow sense the sensory endings of afferent fibers in joint tissues, particularly in joint capsules and articular ligaments. Thick myelinated afferents form corpuscular nerve endings, thin myelinated and unmyelinated afferents are without a corpuscular end structure (non-corpuscular endings, free nerve endings).

Characteristics

Remarks on the Classification of Sensory Endings

Sensory receptors are either classified according to their morphological appearance, which is thought to be correlated with functional properties, or according to the electrophysiological properties of their sensory axons within peripheral nerves. The velocity of action potentials running along the afferent fiber is used for a basic classification, dividing the afferents into slowly conducting (Aδ or group III, and C or group IV) and fast conducting groups (Aβ or group II)....

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   1,250.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Andres KH, von Düring M. (1973) Morphology of Cutaneous Receptors. In: Iggo A (ed) Handbook of Sensory Physiology, vol 2, Somatosensory System. Springer, Berlin, pp 3–28

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ebinger M, Schmidt RF, Heppelmann B (2001) Composition of the Medial and Posterior Articular Nerves of the Mouse Knee Joint. Somatosens Mot Res 18:62–65

    Google Scholar 

  3. Freeman MAR, Wyke B (1967) The Innervation of the Knee Joint. An Anatomical and Histological Study in the Cat. J Anat 101:505–532

    Google Scholar 

  4. Halata Z, Rettig T, Schulze W (1985) The Ultrastructure of Sensory Nerve Endings in the Human Knee Joint Capsule. Anat Embryol 172:265–275

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hanesch U, Heppelmann B, Schmidt RF (1991) Substance P- and Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Immunoreactivity in Primary Afferent Neurons of the Cat’s Knee Joint. Neuroscience 45:185–193

    Google Scholar 

  6. Hanesch U, Heppelmann B, Schmidt RF (1995) Somatostatin-Like Immunoreactivity in Primary Afferents of the Medial Articular Nerve and Colocalization with Substance P in the Cat. J Comp Neurol 354:345–352

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hanesch U, Heppelmann B, Schmidt RF (1997) Quantification of Cat’s Articular Afferents Containing Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide or Substance P Innervating Normal and Acutely Inflamed Knee Joint. Neurosci Lett 233:105–108

    Google Scholar 

  8. Heppelmann B (1997) Anatomy and Histology of Joint Innervation. J Peripher Nerv Syst 2:5–16

    Google Scholar 

  9. Heppelmann B, Heuss C, Schmidt RF (1988) Fiber Size Distribution of Myelinated and Unmyelinated Axons in the Medial and Posterior Articular Nerves of the Cat’s Knee Joint. Somatosens Res 5:273–281

    Google Scholar 

  10. Heppelmann B, Messlinger K, Neiss WF et al. (1990) Ultrastructural Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Group III and Group IV Sensory Nerve Endings (“Free Nerve Endings") in the Knee Joint Capsule of the Cat: Evidence for Multiple Receptive Sites. J Comp Neurol 292:103–116

    Google Scholar 

  11. Heppelmann B, Messlinger K, Neiss WF et al. (1994) Mitochondria in Fine Afferent Nerve Fibres of the Knee Joint in the Cat: A Quantitative Electron-Microscopical Examination. Cell Tissue Res 275:493–501

    Google Scholar 

  12. Heppelmann B, Messlinger K, Neiss WF et al. (1995) Fine Sensory Innervation of the Knee Joint Capsule by Group III and Group IV Nerve Fibers in the Cat. J Comp Neurol 351:415–428

    Google Scholar 

  13. Hildebrandt C, Oqvist G, Brax L et al. (1991) Anatomy of the Rat Knee Joint and Fibre Composition of a Major Articular Nerve. Anat Rec 229:545–555

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hinsey JC (1927) Some Observations on the Innervation of Skeletal Muscle of the Cat. J Comp Neurol 44:87–195

    Google Scholar 

  15. Langford LA, Schmidt RF (1983) Afferent and Efferent Axons in the Medial and Posterior Articular Nerves of the Cat. Anat Rec 206:71–78

    Google Scholar 

  16. Messlinger K, Pawlak M, Steinbach H et al. (1995) A New Combination of Methods for Localization, Identification, and Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of the Sensory Endings of Articular Afferents Characterized by Electrophysiology. Cell Tissue Res 281: 283–294

    Google Scholar 

  17. Messlinger K (1996) Functional Morphology of Nociceptive and other Fine Sensory Endings (“Free Nerve Endings") in Different Tissues. In: Kumazawa T, Kruger L, Mizumura K (eds) The Polymodal Receptor – a Gateway to Pathological Pain – Progress in Brain Research, vol 113. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 273–298

    Google Scholar 

  18. Salo PT, Theriault E (1997) Number, Distribution and Neuropeptide Content of Rat Knee Joint Afferents. J Anat 190:515–522

    Google Scholar 

  19. Tamura R, Hanesch U, Schmidt RF et al. (1998) Examination of Colocalization of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide- and Substance P-Like Immunoreactivity in the Knee Joint of the Dog. Neurosci Lett 254:53–56

    Google Scholar 

  20. Weddell G, Harpman JA (1940) The Neurohistological Basis for the Sensation of Pain Provoked from Deep Fascia, Tendon, and Periosteum. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 3:319–328

    Google Scholar 

  21. Zimny ML (1988) Mechanoreceptors in Articular Tissues. Am J Anat 182:16–32

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

    Karl Messlinger

Authors
  1. Karl Messlinger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physiological Institute, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Robert F. Schmidt

  2. Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA

    William D. Willis

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this entry

Cite this entry

Messlinger, K. (2007). Articular Afferents, Morphology. In: Schmidt, R., Willis, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_288

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_288

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43957-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29805-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation