Evaluation of the distribution of mechanoreceptors in the hip joint with severe coxarthrosis in 9 patients: A histologic and stereological study.

Due to its high mobility, hip joint plays a crucial role in executing many movements such as standing, sitting, running, crouching. The distribution of mechanoreceptors and neural elements in anatomical structures that provide stabilization of the hip joint is important in determining the optimal surgical incision site for the hip joint stabilizers in patients with coxarthrosis. Various studies have been conducted about the mechanoreceptors and distribution of neural elements in structures such as the transvers acetabular ligament, teres (round) ligament of femur, acetabular labrum and hip joint capsule with using various staining methods. To our knowledge, there is insufficient information about the mechanoreceptor distribution within the anatomic structures that participate in stabilization of the hip joint. This study is planned to examine the distribution of mechanoreceptors in the transverse acetabular ligament, teres ligament, acetabular labrum and joint capsule in samples obtained during the surgery who are operated for hip replacement surgery due to severe coxarthrosis. Each specimen was stained with silver impregnation technique and density of mechanoreceptors were estimated by stereological method. Teres ligament has the highest number of mechanoreceptors among all other specimens. Within the joint capsule, mechanoreceptors were most abundant at its antero-inferior part, whereas its anterior part contained the lowest number of mechanoreceptors. These results suggest that, as the anterior part of hip capsule bears the lowest number of mechanoreceptors, it might be safer for incision during total hip arthroplasty surgery.

Effects of Foeniculum vulgare essential oil compounds, fenchone and limonene, on experimental wound healing.

We investigated the wound healing efficacy of the Foeniculum vulgare compounds, fenchone and limonene, using an excisional cutaneous wound model in rats. An excision wound was made on the back of the rat and fenchone and limonene were applied topically to the wounds once daily, separately or together, for 10 days. Tissue sections from the wounds were evaluated for histopathology. The healing potential was assessed by comparison to an untreated control group and an olive oil treated sham group. We scored wound healing based on epidermal regeneration, granulation tissue thickness and angiogenesis. After day 6, wound contraction with limonene was significantly better than for the control group. Ten days after treatment, a significant increase was observed in wound contraction and re-epithelialization in both fenchone and limonene oil treated groups compared to the sham group. Groups treated with fenchone and with fenchone + limonene scored significantly higher than the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant compared to the olive oil treated group. Our findings support the beneficial effects of fenchone and limonene for augmenting wound healing. The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of fenchone and limonene oil increased collagen synthesis and decreased the number of inflammatory cells during wound healing and may be useful for treating skin wounds.