Functional evaluation of regenerated and misrouted axons to glabrous and hairy skin of the rat hind foot after sciatic neurotomy and suture.

The function of misrouted regenerated polymodal nociceptor C-fibers and low-threshold mechanoreceptive axons in the lateral plantar nerve (LPN) and in the foot branch of the superficial peroneal nerve (fSPN) was evaluated 3 months after unilateral sciatic neurotomy and suture. Two weeks before evaluation the tibial fascicle (or the peroneal fascicle) above the neurotomy was cut and tied off. In this way only functional regeneration of misrouted axons was tested in the LPN (or the fSPN). In regenerated animals the glabrous skin area had no functional fSPN-related low-threshold mechanoreceptive axons. However, the hairy fSPN skin area showed function of misrouted LPN-related low-threshold mechanoreceptive axons. In both the glabrous skin domain innervated by the LPN and the hairy skin area supplied by the fSPN, functional regeneration of misrouted polymodal nociceptor C-fibers was found. We conclude that functional regeneration of misrouted axons related to polymodal nociceptive units and low-threshold mechanoreceptive units is more efficient in hairy skin of the rat foot whereas only misrouted polymodal nociceptor C-fibers recover function in glabrous skin.