Question

28 year-old female with history of chronic back pain presents with right-foot numbness and inability to move her foot at the ankle joint. What’s the diagnosis and what neurologic finding would you expect to find?

 

Answer

Large disc bulge at L5-S1

• Patient in the case was found to have reduced:
  • Dorsiflexion (2/5)
  • Plantar flexion (4/5)
  • Reduced sensation in L5-S1 dermatome
• Neurosurgery emergently took the patient to operating room for an L5-S1 discectomy.
• Patient discharged the following day with improved motor and sensory findings

References

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