Peroneal nerve entrapment: new advances for diagnosis and treatment

Peroneal nerve entrapment is the most common neuropathy in the lower limbs and a common cause of foot drop. Patients with foot drop have gait difficulties and an increased risk at falling. Daily practice is very variable, despite the frequency of the pathology. Some centers tend to operate the patients in an early stage whereas other centers never operate and treat the patients in a conservative manner. This polarisation in daily practice is a reflection of a lack of evidence in the current literature. The literature consists mostly of small, retrospective case series. Few prospective trials / patients series are available and randomized controlled trials have not been conducted so far. There is little to no epidemiological data available.  The purpose of this doctoral proposal is to conduct a multicenter, randomized controlled trial to determine the superior treatment of peroneal nerve entrapment. These results can be translated in guidelines for daily practice. Epidemiological and electrophysiological data will be collected as well. 24 Belgian centers and 2 Dutch centers will participate in this trial.