Can a past knee injury cause foot drop symptoms?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have a chronic onset of symptoms of foot drop, diagnosed by podiatrist last month. I would like to know if this could be caused by the original knee injury, which was diagnosed as a severe multi-ligament knee injury. Is it possible for a severe multi-ligament knee injury, with a complete tear of the ACL, to cause "foot drop" to develop years later? I am currently taking Naproxen. Actually my original knee injury happened in 1969 and got repaired in 1980. Knee remained unstable and worn a brace since 1981. I have consulted many orthopedic surgeons, who all state that repair of the ACL is not possible.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand that the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery was done in 1980 whereas the injury was in 1969. It must be ACL reconstruction surgery or some other augmentation surgery. The original ligament cannot be repaired after 11 years. It will be beneficial to know about the procedure performed which can suggest what was done. In some cases foot drop may present after the procedure but it may be immediately or within the first few week or a month. It is unlikely to get recent onset foot drop due to the surgery performed in 1980. There might be some other cause of foot drop if it is recent. I hope this helps.