Intrafusal fibres are a specialised cell population in skeletal muscle, found within the muscle spindle. These fibres have a mechano-sensory capacity, forming part of the monosynaptic stretch-reflex arc, a key component responsible for proprioceptive function. Impairment of proprioception and associated dysfunction of the muscle spindle is linked with many neuromuscular diseases. Research to-date has largely been undertaken in vivo or using ex vivo preparations. These studies have provided a foundation for our understanding of muscle spindle physiology, however, the cellular and molecular mechanisms which underpin physiological changes are yet to be fully elucidated. Therefrom, the use of in vitro models has been proposed, whereby intrafusal fibres can be generated de novo. Although there has been progress, it is predominantly a developing and evolving area of research. This narrative review presents the current state of art in this area and proposes the direction of future work, with the aim of providing novel pre-clinical and clinical applications.

梭内纤维是骨骼肌中的一种特殊细胞群，位于肌梭内。这些纤维具有机械感觉能力，形成单突触牵张反射弧的一部分，这是负责本体感受功能的关键组成部分。本体感觉受损和相关的肌梭功能障碍与许多神经肌肉疾病有关。迄今为止的研究主要是在体内或使用体外制剂进行的。这些研究为我们理解肌梭生理学提供了基础，然而，支撑生理变化的细胞和分子机制尚未完全阐明。因此，使用体外已经提出了模型，由此可以从头生成梭内纤维。尽管已经取得了进展，但它主要是一个发展中和不断发展的研究领域。这篇叙述性评论介绍了该领域的当前技术水平，并提出了未来工作的方向，旨在提供新的临床前和临床应用。