Autonomic and sensitive somatic innervation of the oestrich elbow and knee joints articular capsule

The present research was carried out on thè fibrous layer of thè ostrich's elbow and knee joints articular capsule, employing opportunely modified gold chloride Ruffini's method, to study thè autonomie and sensitive somatic nerve components. The distribution of both nerve components followed frequently thè vascular networks. The autonomie innervation was represented by isolated or grouped ganglion cells, frequently placed along thè course of nerve trunks, dose to thè epineurium or located within thè perineural connective tissue. The sensitive somatic innervation was constituted by free and encapsulated corpuscles. The last one, morphologically classified as Pacini, Pacini-like and Golgi-Mazzoni's corpuscles, were found isolated or grouped to constitute simple and complex flower sprays, "opposito-polar corpuscles" and "poichilomorphous fibres". The very few Golgi-Mazzoni's corpuscles were found only in thè knee joint articular capsule. The two nerve components, found in thè considered districts, did not shown significant quanti-qualitative and topographic differences. This datum, at least in appearance, seems to conflict with thè ostrich runctional aptitudes. In fact. thè ostrich is a bird unable to fly but very able to run.