Introduction: Foot drop (FD) is a gait impairment caused by weakness of the Anterior Tibialis muscles (AT) , resulting in inadequate dorsiflexion during walking. It occurs in various nervous system disorders, particularly lumbar degenerative diseases (LDD), affecting about 8% of LDD patients. This study aims to evaluate recovery rates, identify key predictors, and address the variability in definitions of foot drop, highlighting its significance for healthcare professionals.
Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted using PubMed to assess FD recovery in LDD. Search terms included "foot drop," "tibialis anterior muscle weakness," "lumbar degenerative disease," "lumbar stenosis," "lumbar disc herniation," along with terms related to predictors and surgical outcomes. Key variables of interest included preoperative AT muscle strength, symptom duration, type of LDD, and leg pain presence.
Results: From an initial pool of 1,068 articles, sixteen studies were selected for detailed review. The total sample size was 811 patients, with recovery rates ranging from 20% to 100%. Definitions of foot drop varied, with most studies using a threshold of ≤3 for diagnosis. Follow-up periods varied from 1.3 to 6.4 years, and the duration of FD symptoms ranged from acute onset to 720 days. The review identified that preoperative AT strength of 2-3 showed greater improvement compared to those with a strength of 0-1. FD duration before surgery of less than 30 days was identified as the most sensitive predictor of recovery.
Conclusion : This review underscores underscores the variability in foot drop recovery post-surgery, for LDD, highlighting the need for standardized definitions and the identification of key predictors to optimize patients’ outcomes. . The most sensitive predictors for improvement are short duration of symptoms before surgery and higher preoperative AT muscle strength.The most sensitive predictor for improvements are……. And the worse predictors are….. This information may help clinicians as they counsel patients and manage expectations effectively.
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