Meissner's corpuscles in reimplanted fingers. A study of the possible correlations between anatomical findings and sensory function tests.

A morphometric and immunohistochemical study was carried out on Meissner's corpuscles and nerve fibres of the subpapillary plexus in reimplanted fingers to determine whether there were any correlations between the anatomical findings and the results of clinical tests of sensory function. Before taking biopsy samples, the patients were submitted to tests of receptor function and classified according to the neurophysiological responses. Serial sections of standard thickness were obtained from each sample and the following morphometric parameters regarding Meissner's corpuscles determined: a) density per square millimetre of skin surface; b) size; c) major axes. On some sections, an immunoperoxidase technique for the determination of protein S-100 was used to study the nerve fibres in the subpapillary plexi. The results showed no correlation between the clinical receptor response test and the density of the Meissner's corpuscles, but some relationship was observed between the degree of neural regeneration and the execution of neurorrhaphy at reimplantation. The size and shape of the corpuscles showed wide variations in all subjects.