Foot drop is difficulty lifting the front part of the foot, which can cause the foot to drag or slap while walking. It is not a disease in itself but a symptom of an underlying problem with the muscles, nerves, or anatomy of the leg. The most common cause is injury to the peroneal nerve, which lifts the foot. In CMT, foot drop is very common and is often managed with an AFO to hold the foot up and reduce tripping. It is also what produces the high-stepping steppage gait seen in many people with CMT.
A Name That Does Too Much Work
Jean-Martin Charcot's name appears throughout medicine, but nowhere does it create more confusion than in the foot. Learn why the CMT foot and Charcot neuroarthropathy, also known as Charcot foot, share a name yet differ in how they develop, appear, and are managed.
