Re: New Cutting-Edge Surgery Provides Relief For People With Foot Drop

[Guest guest]

This won't work for CMT folks will it??

In His Most Merciful Name,

Ziegler

New Cutting-Edge Surgery Provides Relief For People With Foot

Drop

New Cutting-Edge Surgery Provides Relief For People With Foot Drop

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/190558.php

A new surgery that involves an expendable, functioning muscle from the top of

the leg and a nerve below the knee can give people with foot drop a new bounce

in their step.

" Foot drop is a condition where there is weakness in the muscles that raise

the foot up at the ankle, " said Dr. Varner, an orthopedic surgeon with The

Methodist Hospital in Houston. " People with foot drop are unable to clear their

foot from the ground when swinging the foot forward. This condition is often

very embarrassing and is usually caused by trauma such as a knee dislocation or

penetrating injury that damages the nerve. "

People with foot drop can wear a brace that helps pick their foot up, but it

is often cumbersome. Another treatment is a tendon transfer, which involves

moving the tendon from the back of the leg to the front and re-routing tendon

function. The problem is the tendon is used to push the foot down, so people

have to re-learn how to pull their foot up. This new procedure is called a

functional muscle transfer is an alternative to both therapies. It's a complex

operation that involves the gracilis muscle and the peroneal nerve.

" We take the gracilis muscle from the inside of the leg, connect its blood

vessels to the blood vessels in the leg and then attach its nerve to the

peroneal nerve, which supplies movement and sensation to the lower leg, foot and

toes, " said Dr. Klebuc, a plastic surgeon with The Methodist Hospital

Institute for Reconstructive Surgery in Houston. " If all goes well, in about six

months, the peroneal nerve fibers will grow into the transplanted muscle and

people will be able to lift their foot up and walk without a brace. "

The gracilis muscle is not a critical muscle in the leg. There are other

muscles that are responsible for bringing the knees together, so you can take

this one out and continue to live a normal life. This surgery only works for

injuries below the knee.

" This procedure is best for young, active people under age 50 with no

atherosclerotic disease or other problems, " Klebuc said. " Keep in mind, the foot

will not be as strong as it was before the injury and playing sports like

basketball and soccer will be nearly impossible. However, it will allow people

with foot drop to walk without a brace, and for most, this is like winning the

lottery. "

[Guest guest]

My son and I saw a surgeon who explained this exact procedure for the repair of

an old 4-wheeler injury. But, when the doc realized my son has CMT, he wouldn't

continue with the appt. Said it would not do any good in the long run, because

the CMT would interfere. So...is this so? He is an active 32 year old, and the

foot drop is much more conspicuous on the foot with the old injury. We had

temporary elation at the thought that it could be repaired, then that was gone

in an instant.

Lee

tlee629@...

--- On Wed, 6/2/10, -owner <-owner >

wrote:

From: -owner <-owner >

Subject: New Cutting-Edge Surgery Provides Relief For People With Foot

Drop

Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2010, 12:37 PM

 

New Cutting-Edge Surgery Provides Relief For People With Foot Drop

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/190558.php

A new surgery that involves an expendable, functioning muscle from the top of

the leg and a nerve below the knee can give people with foot drop a new bounce

in their step.

" Foot drop is a condition where there is weakness in the muscles that raise the

foot up at the ankle, " said Dr. Varner, an orthopedic surgeon with The

Methodist Hospital in Houston. " People with foot drop are unable to clear their

foot from the ground when swinging the foot forward. This condition is often

very embarrassing and is usually caused by trauma such as a knee dislocation or

penetrating injury that damages the nerve. "

People with foot drop can wear a brace that helps pick their foot up, but it is

often cumbersome. Another treatment is a tendon transfer, which involves moving

the tendon from the back of the leg to the front and re-routing tendon function.

The problem is the tendon is used to push the foot down, so people have to

re-learn how to pull their foot up. This new procedure is called a functional

muscle transfer is an alternative to both therapies. It's a complex operation

that involves the gracilis muscle and the peroneal nerve.

" We take the gracilis muscle from the inside of the leg, connect its blood

vessels to the blood vessels in the leg and then attach its nerve to the

peroneal nerve, which supplies movement and sensation to the lower leg, foot and

toes, " said Dr. Klebuc, a plastic surgeon with The Methodist Hospital

Institute for Reconstructive Surgery in Houston. " If all goes well, in about six

months, the peroneal nerve fibers will grow into the transplanted muscle and

people will be able to lift their foot up and walk without a brace. "

The gracilis muscle is not a critical muscle in the leg. There are other muscles

that are responsible for bringing the knees together, so you can take this one

out and continue to live a normal life. This surgery only works for injuries

below the knee.

" This procedure is best for young, active people under age 50 with no

atherosclerotic disease or other problems, " Klebuc said. " Keep in mind, the foot

will not be as strong as it was before the injury and playing sports like

basketball and soccer will be nearly impossible. However, it will allow people

with foot drop to walk without a brace, and for most, this is like winning the

lottery. "

[Guest guest]

I hope this might work.

Does this work for CMT? This looks much quicker than stem cell research.

May you be well and happy

Caroline