Ankle joint (artc. intertarsalis) receptors in the domestic fowl.

The physiological responses of joint capsule sensory receptors in the ankle joint of the chicken were studied by recording the electrical activity from single sensory afferent nerve fibres dissected from the parafibular nerve. All units included in this study were sensitive to mechanical stimulation of the joint capsule and were classified with respect to nerve conduction velocity, receptive field size and response threshold. Rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors formed 23% of the receptors present in the sample and responded to the mechanical probe by giving a single response or a short burst of activity at the onset of stimulation. The majority of units identified showed a slowly adapting response and on the basis of conduction velocity were divided into group IV (CV 2.5 m/s), group III (CV 2.5-20 m/s) and those units conducting over 20 m/s. Group IV units had single spot-like receptive fields and mechanical thresholds ranging from 0.6 to 60 g. Group III units could be divided into two groups based on receptive field size. One group had spot-like receptive fields 1-2 mm in diameter, whereas in the other group the receptive fields were larger (over 2 x 3 mm). The large receptive field units had significantly faster conduction velocities, lower mechanical thresholds and steeper stimulus-response curves than small receptive field units. In response to movement of the joint very few of the receptors, whether rapidly or slowly adapting, were found to be excited by moving the joint by hand in the middle of its physiological range. The physiological properties of these avian mechanoreceptive fine afferent units suggest that while some are activated by normal joint movement and non-noxious local mechanical stimulation of the joint capsule, others have nociceptive functions. The receptors present in the ankle joint were correlated with the anatomical structures found in the avian joints and their physiological properties compared and contrasted to the joint receptors found in mammals.