Footdrop in the Farmers in Punjab: A Retrospective Electrodiagnostic Study

Abstract

This study was performed to find out the occurrence of the common footdrop which was due to peroneal nerve palsy in the farmers in Punjab, India. This study consisted of 100 male subjects of which 50 were farmers (who were aged between 20 to 50 years), who were suffering from a unilateral foot drop and 50 were normal, healthy, age matched controls who were not involved in farming activities. The nerve conduction parameters (the nerve conduction velocities, latencies and amplitudes) of the common peroneal nerve and the tibial and the sural nerves were measured distally at the ankle and proximally at the knee on both the lower limbs of the subjects. On comparative evaluation, the data showed a significantly reduced conduction velocity and amplitude on the affected side as well as on the contralateral side in the common peroneal nerve of the farmers as compared to those in the controls. The F wave latency was increased in both the limbs of the farmers in comparison to the controls. The patients presented with a unilateral footdrop which was due to peroneal palsy, but a decreased peroneal nerve conduction was observed on the contralateral side as well. Thus, it suggested the involvement of the common peroneal nerve bilaterally. The position of sitting during harvesting or weeding was also important in inducing footdrop along with the type of the hand activity, because of occurrence of the footdrop on the side of the dominant hand.