Premium
Topographical distribution of motor fascicles in the sciatic‐tibial nerve of the rat
Author(s) -
Badia Jordi,
PascualFont Arán,
Vivó Meritxell,
Udina Esther,
Navarro Xavier
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.21652
Subject(s) - sciatic nerve , anatomy , tibial nerve , retrograde tracing , trunk , motor nerve , medicine , epineurial repair , motor endplate , neuroscience , neuromuscular junction , biology , stimulation , dorsum , ecology
Knowledge of the intraneural topography of peripheral nerves may help to improve nerve repair after injuries and the selectivity of neural interfaces. We studied the fascicular pattern of motor fibers of the rat sciatic–tibial nerve. We carried out an anatomical dissection of the muscular tributaries of the tibial nerve in the leg. Immunohistochemistry against choline acetyltransferase was used to identify motor axons. Retrograde tracing allowed localization of the muscular fascicles at proximal levels of the sciatic trunk. The distribution of motor fibers in transverse section of the tibial nerve is not homogeneous; two clusters were identified, each one containing fibers of functionally related muscles. Retrograde tracing allowed for the identification of motor fascicles, each one well localized along the sciatic nerve. In the rat there is a somatotopic organization of the sciatic nerve, with muscular fascicles maintaining the same relative position along the entire nerve. Muscle Nerve, 2010