Quantificação dos elementos neurais no ligamento cruzado posterior em joelhos hígidos e com osteoartrose primária

Abstract

Mechanoreceptors are responsible for sensory coding of signals that inform the cognitive perception of the force, positioning, movement, velocity and direction to which the joint is submitted, providing an indispensable contribution to joint homeostasis. The aim of the present study was to quantify neural elements in the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) of healthy knees and those with primary osteoarthritis. A total of 25 PCLs were studied from cadavers of both sexes with mean age of 59.8 years ± 24.4 years (13 to 92 years) and 15 PCLs from individuals of both sexes with average age of 71.1 years ± 8.4 years (57 to 87 years) with primary osteoarthritis of the knee submitted to total joint replacement. The area of neural elements identified in histological sections using the anti-S100 immunohistochemical technique was quantified. The overall average of the neural element area was 0.96% ± 0.67%, with the cadaver and osteoarthrosis groups obtaining 1.02% ± 0.67% and 0.80% ± 0.64%, respectively. Intergroup comparison reveals that individuals with osteoarthritis exhibited a decrease in neural element quantification in relation to those with no joint morbidity in the cadaver group (p<0.05). No correlation was observed between neural element quantification and the age of the individuals studied in either of the groups (p>0.05). No difference was found in neural element quantification between sexes in the cadaver group (p=0.766). The osteoarthritis group exhibited a statistically significant decline in neural element quantification in men when compared to women (p=0.003). The osteoarthritis group displayed no difference in neural element quantification in the knees with varus or valgus alignment (p=0.847). The sample studied exhibited a decrease in neural element quantification in the PCL of individuals with osteoarthritis. Age showed no correlation between neural element quantification in the PCL of individuals with osteoarthritis and healthy knees. Nor was there a difference between sexes in neural element quantification of PCL in healthy knees, but in knees with osteoarthritis, neural element quantification declined in men. There was no difference in neural element quantification between knees with varus or valgus alignment in cases of osteoarthritis.