THE DYNAMIC-RESPONSE OF FELINE GOLGI TENDON ORGANS DURING RECOVERY FROM NERVE INJURY

The dynamic response of tendon organs to isometric contractions of act ivating motor units has been examined during recovery from nerve crush or nerve transection followed by suture repair. After nerve crush the characteristic response was rapidly restored, although the early and late phases of the dynamic response were altered differentially. Follo wing nerve transection, recovery was much poorer and many responses we re abnormal. Normal responses were only observed in a minority of tend on organ-motor unit interactions but every tendon organ studied did re spond normally to at least one motor unit, with a range of dynamic sen sitivities similar to normal. This suggests that the abnormalities obs erved reflect changes in the mechanical input to the organ, due to mot or unit reorganisation, rather than abnormalities of the transduction process.