Fast Five Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Foot Drop?

Craig C. Young, MD; James W. Pritchett, MD

Disclosures

July 07, 2015

Increased pain with passive stretch of the involved muscles is a consistent diagnostic indicator of a compartment syndrome. The usual initial presenting symptom is pain that is out of proportion to the injury. Paresthesias follow, but at this point, irreversible myoneural injury is likely to have occurred. Foot drop may also be noted; the time of presentation varies with the compartment involved. A form of chronic compartment syndrome, exertional compartment syndrome may occur in athletes who have exercise-induced pain in the lower leg or foot within 20-30 minutes of beginning to exercise. Often, this occurs after a recent increase in intensity or duration of training, or after a change in the training routine. The symptoms resolve after 15-30 minutes of rest; however, as the syndrome progresses, pain occurs earlier and takes longer to resolve. The anterior compartment is the one that is most commonly involved.

For more on compartment syndrome and foot drop, read here.

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