Foot drop resulting from degenerative lumbar spinal diseases: clinical characteristics and prognosis.

Foot drop is a condition that can substantially add to the disability of patients with degenerative lumbar spinal disorders. The most common degenerative conditions associated with foot drop are lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spinal stenosis. The level most commonly affected is the L4/5 spinal level. Most patients are treated with surgery, although there is insufficient evidence to support that surgery is superior to conservative therapy. In most surgical patients, foot dorsiflexion will improve to some degree. The preoperative power of foot dorsiflexion is the key factor associated with prognosis.