Lack of Evidence for Sprouting of Aβ Afferents into the Superficial Laminas of the Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn after Nerve Section

The study investigated whether Aβ afferents sprouted into the superficial laminas of the spinal cord dorsal horn after nerve injury, a process previously suggested to contribute to neuropathic pain. Using intra-axonal labeling and bulk labeling techniques in rats, the researchers examined 58 intact and 38 axotomized sciatic afferents. They found that both normal and axotomized afferents, including those with hair follicle afferent-like morphology, only extended to the ventral half of lamina II and did not sprout further dorsally. These findings did not support the hypothesis that Aβ afferents sprouted into the superficial laminas following nerve section.