[Structural changes in the neurons of the spinal nerve sensory ganglia of adult dogs during shin lengthening].

Using the Ilizarov apparatus, the shin of 9 adult mongrel dogs was lengthened. Morpho-functional state of the neurons in LVII spinal nerve sensory ganglia that are involved in tibial innervation, were studied using neurohistological and quantitative methods after the distraction that was performed during 28 days with the rate of 1 mm (4 fractions) a day, followed by one month-long fixation and one month after apparatus removal. Material, obtained 3 intact dogs was used as a control. The most intensive development of structural changes in different populations of sensory neurons was detected during the period of distraction; they persisted for one month after apparatus removal. As compared with the intact animals, in the populations of large, medium and small neurons, a 2-3 fold reduction was found in the number of normochromal cells with the central location of the nucleus and nucleolus in the center, with the concomitant proportional increase of the number of cells with the combined peripheral chromatolisis and dislocation of nuclear-nucleolar apparatus.