Foot tapping test for lower extremity motor function of cervical spondylotic myelopathy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the standard value of foot tapping test (FTT) in healthy population and FTT for lower extremity motor function in patients with cervical compressive myelopathy. METHODS: Totally 124 patients [68 males, (58.49±14.60) years old; 56 females, (57.55±18.27) years old] diagnosed of cervical myelopathy and 160 healthy volunteers [80 males, (45.43±17.98) years old; 80 females, (45.2±17.47) years old] participated in our study. The patients who underwent surgery were evaluated both before and 1 year after the surgery. We performed FTT and Grip and Release Test and evaluated with the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score for cervical myelopathy. RESULTS: The value of FTT was (22.23±2.53) in myelopathic patients, significantly lower than (33.23 ±3.17) in the healthy group (decreasing with age) (P<0.05). The value of FTT was positively correlated with the lower extremity motor function of modified JOA score and the value of Grip and Release Test. In the patients who underwent surgery, the value of FTT was (22.23±2.53) preoperatively and was improved to (28.48±1.99) at one year postoperatively (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The FTT score has been improved by surgery. The FTT is an easy and useful quantitative assessment for lower extremity motor function in patients with cervical myelopathy, especially those who cannot walk.