A CO}flTRIBUTION TO NET]ROMUSCULAR SPINI}LES IN SOME EXTRA-OCUI,AR, MUSCLES IN MAN

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department ol AnatomE, FacultE ol Mediane, Kasr EI-Aini, Cairo Uniuersity

Abstract

Much work was carried out on muscle spindles as sensory end organs in the various skeletal muscles of the body. Sherrington (1894) was one of the pioneers who gave a detailed description of their structure as well as their role in maintaining the body position and coordination of muscle movements. The presence of muscle spindles in the extra-ocular muscles was the subject of many investigations in various animal species where they were found in the ox by Crevatin
(1900) and Dogiel (f906) as well as in the sheep by Cilimbarais (1910). Their detection in man was denied by Woollard (1931), Irvine (1934), Marson (194f), Adler (1945) and Cogan (1948) who believed that the extra-ocular museles lack proprioceptive innervation. Furthermore,Cooper et al (f958) failed to notice such spindles in the extra-ocular muscles of macaque monkey in spite of the fact that they recorded reflex activities after their stimulation.However, Daniel (1946) examined transverse sections in huma"n extra-ocular muscles and was able to observe groups of muscle flbresenclosed in connective tissue capsule which he described as small muscle spindles.

Keywords