foot-drop

foot-drop

n.

Paralysis or weakness of the dorsiflexor muscles of the foot and ankle, resulting in dragging of the foot and toes.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

foot-drop

Neurology A manifestation of peripheral neuropathy, characterized by an inability to actively dorsiflex and evert the foot at the ankle; the foot drops when the Pt lifts the foot off the ground in the swing phase of ambulation–thus requiring a high stepping gait; it is associated with paresthesiae of feet, loss of vibratory and position sense, spasticity, exaggerated tendon reflexes in legs Etiology Diabetic mononeuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, severe vitamin B₁₂ deficiency, residual poliomyelitis, old injuries to lateral popliteal–LP or sciatic nerves, cauda equina tumor, massive interverbral disc prolapse at L₅S₁ level and, formerly in India, LP nerve paralysis due to leprosy. See Wrist drop.

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.