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Background: The aim of this study was to assess the innervation of the dorsal articular capsule of the wrist using modified Sihler's staining. Materials and methods: Thirty dorsal wrist capsules were collected from 15 donors (both sides) within 12 hours of death. All the capsules were collected in the same mannerusing the dorsal incision. The specimens were stained according to the protocol of the modified Sihler's staining technique. The preserved capsules were analyzed under 8-16× magnification of an optical microscope for the presence of major nerve trunks, their major and minor branches, and nerve connections. Results: The range of innervation visualized was that the posterior interosseous nerve innervated approximately 60% of the central part; the remaining area was innervated by the dorsal sensory branch of the radial nerve and medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve. The constant findings were the branches departing from the ulnar side of the posterior interosseous nerve and from the radial side, with an exception seen in two cases. A communicans branch between the posterior interosseous nerve and medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve was seen in all the specimens. The posterior interosseous nerve innervation extended beyond the level of the carpometacarpal joints II-V. Conclusions: The modified Sihler's staining technique allows for transparent visibility of the nerves that innervate the dorsal wrist capsule. However, it does not allow as accurate assessment as does histological examination, especially regarding the evaluation of nerve endings. Nevertheless, this method provides a significantly larger area of nerve observation than is provided by histological examination.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the histological structure (cross-sectional area (CSA) and number of nerve fascicles) of the distal part of the tibial nerve (TN) and its terminal branches (medial plantar nerve [MPN], lateral plantar nerve [LPN]) in the fresh and fresh-frozen cadavers using computer assisted image analysis. Materials and methods: The tibial nerve with terminal branches (medial and lateral plantar nerves) were dissected from the fresh and fresh-frozen cadavers. Each nerve was harvested 5 mm proximally and respectively 5 mm distally from the tibial nerve bifurcation, marked, dehydrated, embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 2 µm slices and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Then the specimens were photographed and analyzed using Olympus cellSens software. Results: The fresh cadavers group comprised 60 feet (mean age 68.1 ± 15.2 years). The mean CSA and the number of nerve fascicles were respectively 15.25 ± 4.6 mm 2 , 30.35 ± 8.45 for the tibial nerve, 8.76 ± 1.93 mm 2 , 20.75 ± 7.04 for the medial plantar nerve and 6.54 ± 2.02 mm 2 , 13.40 ± 5.22 for the lateral plantar nerve. The fresh-frozen cadavers group comprised 21 feet (mean age 75.1 ± 9.0 years). The mean CSA and the number of nerve fascicles were respectively 13.71 ± 5.66 mm 2 , 28.57 ± 8.00 for the tibial nerve, 7.55 ± 3.25 mm 2 , 18.00 ± 6.72 for the medial plantar nerve and 4.29 ± 1.93 mm 2 , 11.33 ± 1.93 for the lateral plantar nerve. Only lateral plantar nerves showed statistical differences in the CSA and the number of nerve fascicles between examined groups (p = 0.000, p = 0.037 respectively). A positive correlation was found between donors age and tibial nerve CSA in the fresh cadavers group (r = 0.44, p = 0.000). A statistical difference was found between the medial and lateral plantar nerves both in the CSA and the number of nerve fascicles (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusions: The CSA and the number of nerve fascicles of the tibial and medial plantar nerves were similar in the fresh and fresh-frozen cadavers whilst different in the lateral plantar nerve. The tibial nerve showed increasing CSA with the advanced age in the fresh cadavers. The medial plantar nerve had larger CSA and more nerve fascicles than the lateral plantar nerve.