Anatomia microscópica e ultraestrutura do joelho da paca (Cuniculus paca Linnaeus, 1766)

Abstract

Paca (Cuniculus paca), one of the largest rodent of the Brazilian fauna, has characteristics inherent to the species that can contribute as a new experimental animal; so, considering that there is a growing search for experimental models suitable for orthopedic and surgical research, it was analyzed and described in detail the microscopic and ultrastructural anatomy of the stifle in this rodent. The collateral ligaments are composed of bundles of collagen fibers arranged in parallel and in wavy path. Fibroblasts formed parallel rows to the collagen fibers; concerning the collateral ligaments, they presented imperceptible cytoplasm at light microscopy, but at ultrastructure analysis they presented several cytoplasmic processes. At the microscopic level, the stifle of paca resembles the domestic animals, rodents and lagomorphs.