Ruffiniendinger

Ruffini endings, named after the Italian anatomist Angelo Ruffini, are slowly adapting mechanoreceptors located in the dermis of the skin, with high density in glabrous skin such as the fingertips. They are connected to large-diameter myelinated Aβ nerve fibers and are especially implicated in sensing skin stretch and sustained pressure.

Anatomically, Ruffini endings consist of elongated nerve endings embedded in a fibrous dermal network, intertwined with collagen fibers. This arrangement enables them to detect tangential stretch and gradual changes in the shape or tension of the skin rather than rapid vibrations.

Function and role: Ruffini endings provide information about hand shape, finger position, and grip during object manipulation. Because they adapt slowly, they remain active during maintained contact, contributing to proprioception and the sense of where the hand and fingers are in space. Their receptive fields are relatively large, which yields lower spatial resolution but robust detection of sustained stretch and posture.

Clinical and physiological context: In the broader somatosensory system, Ruffini endings complement other mechanoreceptors such as Merkel cells, Meissner corpuscles, and Pacinian corpuscles. They are considered important for proprioceptive feedback in the hand and fingers, aiding in dexterous manipulation and grip control.