MRCS PART A · APPLIED ANATOMY

Lower-limb nerve injuries

Test the movement. Map the sensation. Find the level.

Examination practice · six fictional patients · progress lasts for this session only

Choose a patient

Patient 1 / 60 completed

Foot drop after prolonged squatting

A 41-year-old develops foot slapping after hours of squatting while tiling. There is no major trauma, back-radiating pain or bladder/bowel change. Localise the deficit using muscles outside the dorsiflexor group, not the trigger alone.

Which examination will you perform?

Open only the finding you want. Other findings remain hidden; your choices never change the patient.

Compare dorsiflexion with eversion

Ankle dorsiflexion, great-toe extension and eversion are weak.

Test inversion with the ankle plantarflexed

Tibialis posterior-driven inversion is strong. Hip abduction is also preserved.

Map dorsal and plantar foot sensation

Sensation is reduced over much of the dorsum and first web space; the sole is spared.

Examine proximal power and reflexes

Knee flexion, plantarflexion, patellar and Achilles reflexes are preserved. No upper motor neuron signs.

Which localisation best fits this patient?A. L5 radiculopathyB. Isolated superficial fibular neuropathyC. Common fibular neuropathy near the fibular neckD. Tibial neuropathy at the ankleE. High sciatic neuropathy affecting both divisions

Sources and scope

Source links checked. Independent anatomy practice, not official MRCS material or a clinical management protocol. Real findings overlap and require clinical assessment.