Foot drop after spinal anesthesia for cesarean section: a case report

Spinal anesthesia is the preferred anesthetic technique for cesarean section. Neurological complications are very rare and often transient after spinal anesthesia.

In the present case, a 37-year-old woman was considered eligible for cesarean section due to fetal distress. She underwent spinal anesthesia with a 25-gauge pencil-point spinal needle. In the sitting position, 3 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine was injected following free flow of cerebrospinal fluid. The cesarean delivery was uneventful without severe and significant hemodynamic changes. After recovery, the patient complained of tingling and stiffness in the left leg, accompanied with movement disorders and foot drop. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging was normal. After receiving 500 mg intravenous methylprednisolone daily for 72 hours, she was discharged from the hospital with no particular problems.

Foot drop is a neurological disorder, which occurs following natural childbirth and spinal anesthesia due to direct needle trauma or local anesthetic toxicity. This complication is transient and usually resolves within a few days. In our patient, the neurological complication appeared after labor and anesthesia recovery, which was treated by corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory drugs, with no particular side effects.