Foot drop in people with MS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Foot drop in people with Multiple Sclerosis: feasibility of instrumented gait analysis to assess Motor Fatigue.
IRAS ID
176761
Contact name
Marietta van der Linden
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 16 days
Research summary
People with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) often experience 'foot-drop' which means that the foot is not adequately lifted during the so-called swing phase (foot is off the ground) during walking which can lead to trips and falls. Foot drop can be treated by Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) to the shin muscles will aid lifting of the foot or an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) or splint. There have been several studies showing the benefits of FES to the walking of pwMS. A pilot study will assess the suitability of the use of simple measurement (electrogoniometry) which will allow the measurement of the degree of foot drop. The degree is foot drop is usually assessed by the physiotherapist using visual observation. Using a small device which can be quickly fitted to the patient's lower and foot for the duration of a 2-6 minute walk, the physiotherapist will be able to quantify the degree of foot drop over time. Such a measurement is especially important for people with MS who are often affected by increased motor fatigue.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0160
Date of REC Opinion
2 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion