Foot Drop

By Dr. Andrew Elkwood

Foot drop is a condition in which the patient cannot lift their foot. It is very important that a patient can lift their foot in terms of allowing proper gait and walking. Whereas the majority of the strength of the leg is involved in pressing the foot downwards, lifting the foot back up allows the patient to press their foot downwards again, similar to re-cocking a gun vs. firing the gun. Nonetheless, there can be numerous causes of a foot drop. The most common causes come from disc disease of the back and from non-functioning of the peroneal nerves in the leg. These ailments can often be treated with a procedure called tendon transfer surgery to get the foot moving again.
For more on foot drop, and treatment at The Insititute for Advanced Reconstruction, log on to http://www.advancedreconstruction.com/nerve-surgery-reconstruction/foot-drop/

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