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. 2017 Sep 18;7(2):279-285.
doi: 10.11138/mltj/2017.7.2.279. eCollection 2017 Apr-Jun.

Normal microscopic architecture of acetabular labrum of hip joint: a qualitative original study with clinical aspects

Stylianos Kapetanakis  1 , Nikolaos Gkantsinikoudis  1 , Antonios Dermon  2 , Vassiliki Kommata  3 , Jannis Papathanasiou  4 , Panagiotis Soukakos  2 , Caterina Dermon  3
Affiliations

Normal microscopic architecture of acetabular labrum of hip joint: a qualitative original study with clinical aspects

Stylianos Kapetanakis et al. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. .

Abstract

Background: Normal histologic architecture of acetabular labrum, regarding presence of Free Nerve Endings (FNEs) and Nerve End Organs (NEOs) has been four times described. Nevertheless, elderly cadaveric specimens and individuals were recruited, leading to considerably high unreliability probability due to microscopic degenerative alterations. Aim of this paper is to analyze distribution pattern of FNEs and NEOs in acetabular labra of healthy middle-aged individuals, configuring thus more reliably acetabular labrum microscopic profile.

Materials and methods: Six patients with middle age 52 ± 2.5 years were enrolled in this study. Injury of acetabular labrum and normal hip radiograph were present in all cases. Patients were all subjected to successful hip hemi-arthroplasty and derived acetabular labra were subsequently histologically processed and observed under a compound microscope.

Results: FNEs and NEOs were detected in all specimens. All types of NEOs were identified, including Paccini, Golgi-Mazzoni, Ruffini and Krause corpuscles. FNEs and NEOs were both in ventral part and in chondral side of labrum predominantly detected.

Conclusion: FNEs and NEOs presence was greater in ventral side of labrum, being thus in partial agreement with previous studies results. Further study is required, in order to elucidate the exact acetabular labrum normal microscopic anatomy.

Level of evidence: IV.

Keywords: acetabular labrum; free nerve endings; histology of acetbular labrum; nerve end organs; original article; review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest No other relationships/conditions/circumstances that present potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Macroscopic observation of normal acetabular labrum derived from hip hemi-arthroplasty.
Figure 2
Figure 2
FNEs as identified in ventral part of the labrum. 100X magnification.
Figure 3
Figure 3
FNEs as identified in fronto-dorsal part of the labrum. 400X magnification.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Golgi-Mazzoni corpuscle detected in ventral part of the labrum. 400X magnification.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Ruffini corpuscle as identified in middle part of the labrum. 400X magnification.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Krause corpuscle detected in ventral part of the labrum. 400X magnification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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