Electrophysiologic evidence showing the existence of sensory receptors within the alveolar bone in anesthetized cats.

Single-nerve activities were recorded in the gasserian ganglia of anesthetized cats by glass extracellular micro-electrodes to determine whether sensory endings exist within the alveolar bone. Trigeminal cells responded to mechanical and/or thermal stimulation applied to the maxillary bone. Some were activated by specific kinds of fairly precise mechanical stimuli (moderate forces applied in a preferential direction); others exhibited a coarse mechanical sensitivity. In addition, electrical stimulation was applied to the maxillary bone to determine the conduction velocities of the relevant fibers. These mainly ranged between 1 and 6 m/s, which indicates that the fibers belonged to the small-diameter category (thinnest myelinated and unmyelinated fibers). Similar results were obtained from animals with osseointegrated implants. It was concluded that the alveolar bone is endowed with sensory endings capable of detecting mechanical and thermal changes, and that these receptors may provide compensatory sensitivity in edentulous subjects whose main (periodontal) sensitivity has been eliminated.