surgical procedures to help with foot drop

I am a 50 year old active person. I had a bad knee injury that stretched to peroneal nerve and left me with foot drop. I have had 3 surgeries and can walk without a brace for 3 to 4 hours a day. I would say that it was worth it.

Unfortunately the nerve graft did not take and I will never have nerve function.

If your injury was above the knee and is still a lower motor neuron a walkaide nerve stimulator will be of no use. It is mainly for stroke patients and those that have some nerve function even though the sciatic nerve is damaged.

There are several surgical procedures that are being performed. The oldest is a tendon and muscle transfer from the medial ( inside) of the foot and ankle and transferring them to the top of the foot. If possible a sural nerve graft is taken from the back of the calf and grafted to replace the injured section of nerve. You soon learn how to move your foot with some practice and soon it is automatic.

The second is a nerve transfer. It takes the healthy end of the nerve below the injury and spices it into the tibial nerve ( this nerve is makes the muscle move that bend the foot down ( calf muscles and bend your toes down). The brain learns this new configuraton and allows to pick your foot up.

Another one I investigated was taking muscle and tendon from the calf on the outside ( lateral) calf and graft it into the foot of the leg. Again the brain learns how to do this with practice and therapy. the surgery also involves a nerve graft.

Grafts of the sural nerve ( a pure sensory nerve) are not often sucessful. If the graft is long (over 6 cm) and if you are over forty the chances are slim that the recovery will be anywhere complete.

All surgeries must be done soon after the injury as the receptors
( neuromuscular motor endplates) to the muscle will start to atrophy and all but gone in 2 years post injury. They will not come back.

Lessons learned. Be patient. The process of neurologic recovery is slow and often incomplete. Get informed about surgical repairs. Understnad that your life has changed and a lot of things you used to do will be difficult but not impossible. I can't run on the beach for 3 miles but I can walk for 1 mile. I can't jump kiteboarding anymore but I can still get out a bit. Instead of running I ride my bike more. At the gym I don't use the treadmill but I use the elliptical trainer.

It is a serious blow to your life. I look at it as being losing 25 percent of function of your legs.

If you make a living on your feet you will have to adjust as well.

I read in this forum about how people blow you off because they don't appreciate the important function that has been lost. If one person tells me " it could have been worse" I will probably clock them. True, it could have been worse but it could have been a heck of a lot better.

Take care.