15/12/2023
💢 Foot drop 💢
Foot drop is the inability to lift the forefoot due to the weakness of dorsiflexors of the foot.
➡The Dorsiflexors Muscles are the tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, and extensor hallucis longus, help clear the foot during the swing phase of walking and control plantar flexion of the foot on heel strike.
➡Weakness in the ankle and foot dorsiflexors results in an equinovarus deformity. ➡Sometimes referred to as steppage gait, which is a tendency of a person walking with an exaggerated flexion of the hip and knee to prevent the toes from catching on the ground during swing phase.
♦♦♦♦♦Etiology♦♦♦♦♦
1. Compression disorders: Entrapment syndromes of the fibular nerve at various locations along its anatomical pathway can lead to compressive neuropathy.
Sciatic nerve compression between the two heads of the piriformis muscle leading to foot drop has been reported.
Another common cause of foot drop is Lumbar radiculopathy. L5 radiculopathy is the most common lumbar radiculopathy and results from lumbar disc herniation or spondylitis in the spine.
2.Traumatic Injuries: They often occur associated with orthopedic injuries such as TKA , Fracture to tibial plateau . Patellar dislocations (33% chance of nerve damage) Ankle inversion injury. Sciatic neuropathy commonly resulting from either a traumatic injury of the hip or secondary to surgery is the second most common mononeuropathy of the lower extremity and typically presents with foot drop. Lumbosacral plexopathies, resulting from traumatic injury, a complication of abdominal or pelvic surgery, or a complication of neoplasm or radiation therapy is less common cause of foot drop.
3.Neurologic Disorders:
Charcot–Marie Tooth (CMT) is one of the most commonly inherited congenital demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. It affects both motor and sensory nerves. One of the main symptoms is foot drop and wasting of the lower leg muscles, giving a typical “stork leg” appearance.
