Combined Effects of Functional Electric Stimulation and Additional Sensory Stimulation on Gait and Muscle Strength in Patients with Foot Drop

Background: Foot drop caused by common peroneal nerve injury commonly affects walking ability, balance, and lower limb muscle strength. Patients often experience difficulty during gait due to weakness of the ankle dorsiflexor muscles, which can limit daily activities and reduce functional mobility. Functional electrical stimulation is widely used in rehabilitation to improve muscle activation and gait performance. Objective: To determine the combined effects of functional electrical stimulation and additional sensory stimulation on gait improvement and muscle strength in patients with post-operative foot drop. Methodology: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 30 patients diagnosed with post-operative foot drop following common peroneal nerve injury. The inclusion criteria comprised postoperative patients of either gender aged between 20 and 65 years with clinically diagnosed foot drop following common peroneal nerve injury, muscle power grade 1 on Manual Muscle Testing, and reduced functional ambulation. Patients in both early and late postoperative recovery stages were included. Exclusion criteria included stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, radiculopathy, uncontrolled epilepsy, fixed skeletal deformities, active skin disease, severe cognitive impairment, and complete sensory loss affecting lower limb assessment or treatment participation. Group A received functional electrical stimulation alone, while Group B received functional electrical stimulation combined with additional sensory stimulation. Functional gait performance and muscle strength were assessed before and after the intervention using standardized clinical outcome measures. Pre- and post-treatment comparisons within and between groups were performed. Results: Improvement was observed in both treatment groups after completion of the rehabilitation program. However, patients who received the combined intervention demonstrated greater improvement in gait performance and muscle strength compared to those who received Functional Electrical Stimulation alone. The combined approach showed better functional recovery and enhanced walking ability in post-operative foot drop patients. Conclusion: The addition of sensory stimulation to functional electrical stimulation appears to provide superior outcomes in improving gait and muscle strength in foot drop. This combined rehabilitation approach may be considered an effective treatment for enhancing functional recovery in clinical practice.