Mechanoreceptors of the Wrist

Principal Investigator: Richard A. Berger, M.D., Ph.D.
Project Coordinators: Chao Yang, M.D. — yang.chao@mayo.edu and Diana K. Hansen — hansen.diana@mayo.edu

Figure 6: Various mechanoreceptors identified in DRUJ

The painful wrist is a major source of morbidity in upper extremity with treatments ranging from conservative measures to salvage procedures. Since the location of the AIN and PIN proximal to the DRUJ is constant it seem likely that patients with intractable wrist pain may benefit from a partial wrist denervation involving resection of the anterior (AIN) and posterior (PIN) interosseous nerves. The aims of this project are: 1) identify mechanoreceptors in the key wrist ligaments, classify them according to morphology, and develop a spatial reconstruction using computer aided three-dimensional reconstruction technology (Figure 6), 2) determine if the anterior and posterior interosseous nerves conduct afferent signals related to wrist joint proprioception, and 3) document the specific conduction patterns of the AIN and PIN during wrist movement using micro-neurography, and correlate these to the expected conduction patterns predicted from the mechanoreceptor populations found in the wrist ligaments.