Foot drop is caused by which condition?

• A. Caused by a lack of support to the bottom of the feet for prolonged periods of time. A condition in which the foot falls down at the ankle; plantar flexion.
• B. A condition of high blood pressure.
• C. Inflammation of the ankle joint.
• D. Overuse injury of the calf muscle.

Answer: (A)

Foot drop happens when the muscles that lift the front of the foot are weak or paralyzed, so you can’t dorsiflex the foot during walking. The resulting movement is that the foot drops at the ankle and tends to be in a downward, plantar flexed position as you step. That description matches the choice, which describes the foot falling at the ankle into plantar flexion. Foot drop is usually due to nerve injury or compression affecting the muscles that push the foot up, not because of high blood pressure, ankle joint inflammation, or overuse of the calf muscle.