Foot Drop.

Hi gmac1975, thanks for the reply, I'm grateful for any imformation as I have had none really and would love to hear from more people who've had this operation. It seems to me that not having to wear any type of AFO OR Splints is a marvellous thing because I find mine so cumbersome and uncomfortable. I'm sorry you didn't get much dorsiflexion or planter flexion  back in  your foot. So you are able to walk quite safetly indoors and out without fear of falling without wearing a brace/splint ? that sounds great to me, also I hope you don't mind me asking but do you or did you suffer with any nerve pain through your foot drop condition or not, I do you see and wondered what happened if anything with that side of things? Also do you know of anyone having this op that did get all or some movement back in their foot after having this done. Thank you so much for your reply and any other imfomation would be much appreciated.

I discovered (myself, no thanks to the various medical practitioners I had seen over the years!) the possibility of having a tendon transfer aro

Apologies - tried to reply on my phone there and messed it up!

What I was in the process of saying was that I had a 14-year gap between when I severed my sciatic nerve and having the tendon transfer done. If I had had the op done much sooner then the range of movement would likely have been much greater. That's what the doctor told me at the time - unfortunately I don't know anyone else who has had the procedure so that I could tell you for certain.

But it's still a big improvement. I can walk barefooted without tripping over my toes, and I don't need the AFO which is great as you can imagine.

Regarding nerve pain, I have pain sometimes on the sole of my foot as a result of a previous ulceration (caused by an AFO cutting into my foot and me not realising for a while) but I don't have other nerve pain beyond that. Just hard skin build up mainly and corns and calluses.

If there's anything else you want to know please just ask away.

 

Hi, thanks for you quick reply, I have now suffered foot drop for 3 and a half years, I discovered about this prceedure myself and mentioned it to the neurologist I saw 18 months ago but she dimissed it saying I would only walk with like a stiff rigid walk and foot, but now I see for myself I walk like that with a afo anyway, so my thinking is ok I might have to have an operation but I wont need the brace which I loath so may aswell go ahead, so I spoke to my GP who refered me to a foot/ankle specialist,I am now on a waiting list to see him so am hoping for the best that he will help me, its just a waiting game now,.thanks for your reply again.

 

That's great news. Please let me know how you get on. 

thanks will do.

 

Hi ,just an update for you, I have seen a foot and ankle consultant who is very keen to operate on my foot ,he wants me to have more nerve conduction studies first but the main thing is I do have a heart condition so he needs to consult with my cardiologist and anethetist to decide if I am suitable for sugery first, I kow they need to do this but I fear it will mean I wont be able to have surgery.

 

Thanks for the update. That sounds promising - I hope you get the green light to go ahead. Keep us posted please! 

Has anything been said about the prospect of reversing foot drop in light of the recent developments in Poland with the paralysed man walking again? I would have thought/hoped that if they can repair a severed spinal cord then they could do the same with a sciatic nerve. 

Hi thanks my fingers are crossed that I can be operated on, , with surgeons helping a paraylysed man walk again you would think they would be able to reverse foot drop but I have not heard anything,.maybe they will soon.