Is There a Difference in the Distribution of Mechanoreceptors among the Three Sections of the Anterior Talofibular Ligament?

Abstract

We investigated whether the distribution of mechanoreceptors in three sections of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) differed. The ATFL was obtained from 29 ankles of 21 fresh-frozen cadavers and divided into fibular attachment, mid-ligament, and talar attachment parts. Histologically, mechanoreceptors were classified as Ruffini (type I), Vater-Pacini (type II), Golgi-Mazzoni (type III), and free nerve ending corpuscles (type IV); the presence of these mechanoreceptors was compared among the three ATFL sections. Type I mechanoreceptors were significantly more numerous than the other receptor types. Comparing the three sections of the ATFL, the number of type I mechanoreceptors differed significantly between the mid-ligament and fibular attachment (p = 0.006), while the number of type III mechanoreceptors differed significantly between the talar and fibular attachments (p = 0.005) and between the mid-ligament and talar attachment (p = 0.011). The four types of mechanoreceptors were distributed differently among the three sections of the ATFL. Type I mechanoreceptors were more numerous in all sections compared to the other receptors.