Elsevier

Brain Research

Volume 483, Issue 1, 27 March 1989, Pages 177-183
Brain Research

Fusimotor neurones can be reflexy influenced by activity in receptor afferents from the posterior cruciate ligament

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(89)90051-6Get rights and content

Abstract

Recordings were made simultaneously from 2–4 primary muscle spindle afferents from triceps surae and/or posterior biceps and semitendinosus muscles in cats anaesthetized with α-chloralose. It was demonstrated that stretch of the posterior cruciate ligament of the ipsilateral knee could cause changes in dynamic and/or static sensitivity of these afferents to sinusoidal stretching. The changes were due to reflex actions of stretch/tension-sensitive receptors in the cruciate ligaments onto fusimotor neurones. It is concluded that the cruciate ligaments may play an important ‘sensory’ role and that they may participate, via reflex actions on the γ-motor-muscle spindle system, in the regulation of muscular stiffness of the knee joint, and thereby of the knee joint stability.

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