Mice were placed in a cage with a mesh floor and habituated to the environment for 30-60 minutes. Measurements were taken from the abdomen and the plantar surface of both hindpaws over a period of three weeks prior to the surgery and for a total of three weeks after the surgery ( Figure 1 ). VFF filaments of various caliber were applied to the mid-abdomen in ascending order 10 times, each for 1-2 seconds with a 10 second interval. A response was defined as: a) sharp retraction of the abdomen; b) immediate licking or scratching of site of application of hair; or c) jumping. The response frequency was defined as the total number of responses out of 10 applications (expressed as a percentage) to the skin per filament. An investigator blinded to the different treatment groups performed the behavioral testing.