Identifying Common Peroneal Neuropathy before Foot Drop

Background: Common peroneal neuropathy shares the same pathophysiology as carpal tunnel syndrome. However, management is often delayed because of the traditional misconception of recognizing foot drop as the defining symptom for diagnosis. The authors believe recognizing common peroneal neuropathy before foot drop can relieve pain and help improve quality of life. Methods: One hundred eighty-five patients who underwent surgical common peroneal neuropathy decompression between 2011 and 2017 were included. The mean follow-up time was 249 ± 28 days. Patients were classified into two stages of severity based on clinical presentation: pre–foot drop and overt foot drop. Demographics, presenting symptoms, clinical signs, electrodiagnostic studies and response to surgery were compared between these two groups. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify variables that predicted outcome following surgery. Results: Overt foot drop patients presented with significantly lower preoperative motor function (percentage of patients with Medical Research Council grade ≤ 1: overt foot drop, 90 percent; pre–foot drop, 0 percent; p
Source: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Category: Cosmetic Surgery Tags: Reconstructive: Lower Extremity: Original Article Source Type: research