Peroneus longus transfer for drop foot in Hansen disease.

Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium leprae. Nerve injury is a central feature of the pathogenesis of leprosy that results in autonomic, sensory and motor neuropathy. One of the most common secondary disabilities caused by Hansen's disease is the drop foot and it is found in 2% to 5% of newly-diagnosed leprosy patients. Unlike the clinical picture of traumatic injury of the common peroneal nerve where both of its branches (the deep peroneal nerve and the superficial peroneal nerve) are involved, in leprosy there is the possibility of isolated involvement of the deep peroneal nerve branch, sparing the superficial peroneal branch. The article discusses the advantages of using the peroneus longus tendon transfer to the dorsum of the foot instead of the posterior tibial tendon for the correction of dropfoot in selected cases where the peroneals tendons are intact.