ArticleHand (New York, N.Y.)2026
Structural and Distribution Analysis of Mechanoreceptors and Free Nerve Endings in the Annular Pulleys of the Flexor Tendons of the Hand.
Article in Hand (New York, N.Y.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe hand is essential in enabling physical interaction with the environment, with the annular pulleys playing a key role in its functionality. These fibrocartilaginous structures, located along the flexor tendons, are vascularized and may contain nerve endings and mechanoreceptors, aligning tendons with the bones to optimize finger flexion. However, their innervation remains poorly understood, limiting therapeutic advancements for flexor tendon conditions, such as stenosing tenosynovitis (trigger finger). This study aims to analyze the presence and distribution of mechanoreceptors and free nerve endings in the A1 annular pulley to provide insights for improved surgical and therapeutic approaches.
methodsTwenty A1 pulleys from the ring fingers were obtained from fresh-frozen cadavers. The pulleys were submitted to cryostat sectioning. The sections were subjected to immunofluorescence with the PGP 9.5 (protein gene product 9.5) and confocal microscopy analysis.
resultsThe analysis revealed the presence of type I mechanoreceptors (Ruffini corpuscles) in a subset of samples, while type IV free nerve endings were consistently found in all specimens. Both types of neural structures were primarily located at the medial and lateral fibrocartilaginous insertions of the A1 pulley, highlighting specific areas of sensory innervation within the structure.
conclusionThis study contributes to the anatomical characterization of the A1 pulley, highlighting the presence and distribution of mechanoreceptors and free nerve endings. While the clinical implications of these findings remain uncertain, they may serve as a basis for future research on proprioception, sensory feedback, and potential surgical considerations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.