Early active motion versus immobilization after tendon transfer for foot drop deformity: a randomized clinical trial

Immobilization after tendon transfers has been the conventional postoperative management. Several recent studies suggest early mobilization does not increase tendon pullout.

To confirm those studies we determined whether when compared with immobilization early active mobilization after a tendon transfer for foot-drop correction would (1) have a similar low rate of tendon insertion pullout, (2) reduce rehabilitation time, and (3) result in similar functional outcomes (active ankle dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, ROM, walking ability, Stanmore score, and resolution of functional problems.

We randomized 24 patients with surgically corrected foot-drop deformities to postoperative treatment with early mobilization with active motion at 5 days (n = 13) or 4 weeks of immobilization with active motion at 29 days (n = 11). In both groups, the tibialis posterior tendon was transferred to the extensor hallucis longus and extensors digitorum communis for foot-drop correction. Rehabilitation time was defined as the time from surgery until discharge from rehabilitation with independent walking. The minimum followup was 16 months (mean, 19 months; range, 16-38 months) in both groups.

We observed no case of tendon pullout in either group. Rehabilitation time in the mobilized group was reduced by an average of 15 days. The various functional outcomes were similar in the two groups.

In patients with Hansen's disease, an early active mobilization protocol for foot-drop correction has no added risk of tendon pullout and provides similar functional outcomes compared with immobilization. Early mobilization had the advantage of earlier restoration of independent walking.

Level I, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.