Foot drop is characterized by which movement?

• A. Dorsiflexion of the foot.
• B. Inversion of the foot.
• C. Plantar flexion of the foot.
• D. Eversion of the foot.

Answer: (C)

Foot drop shows up as difficulty lifting the front of the foot toward the shin, which is dorsiflexion. When the dorsiflexors (like the tibialis anterior) are weak or impaired, you can’t dorsiflex effectively, so the foot tends to hang in plantarflexion and may drag at the toes during walking. To compensate, people often take a high-stepping gait to clear the foot. The other movements listed—plantar flexion (pointing the toes downward), inversion (turning the sole inward), and eversion (turning the sole outward)—are not the defining issue in foot drop.