Review of Drop Hallux: Assessment and Surgical Repair

Peroneal nerve palsy is common. The hallmark clinical manifestation of peroneal nerve palsy is drop foot. In the drop foot condition, the ankle cannot flex, and the foot does not clear the ground during the swing phase of gait. Spontaneous nerve repair can yield complete or incomplete resolution of drop foot. Some patients with incomplete resolution are left with a drop hallux condition, in which the ankle can dorsiflex, but the hallux remains unable to dorsiflex. This has not been thoroughly discussed in the past, regarding surgical repair. In the present report, we have reviewed the drop hallux condition and an effective surgical repair option (extensor hallucis longus to tibialis anterior tendon anastomosis). Our case report presents a healthy 27-year-old male who had persistent drop hallux after drop foot resolution, 3 years after external fixation of a closed, proximal tibia-fibula fracture.