Proprioceptors and Models of Transduction

Even when deprived of exteroceptive sensory information such as vision and touch, we are aware of the posture and motion of our bodies (kinaesthesia) and the amount of effort being exerted by our muscles. Most of this information comes from large diameter, myelinated, afferent nerve fibers innervating specialized mechanoreceptors called muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs, whose structure and function have been modelled in detail as reviewed herein. Muscles, tendons, ligaments and joint capsules contain a host of other sensory endings serviced by smaller diameter and more slowly conducting nerve fibers, some of which are also sensitive to mechanical stimuli such as strain Their structure is more heterogeneous and their roles in sensorimotor control are less well understood.