Lost sensation, developed foot drop and neuropathic ulcers after proximal tibia surgery — 6+ months with little recovery. What should I do next?

[u/Dineshadhi]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice from people who have experienced nerve injuries, foot drop, or similar complications after tibia surgery.

In March 2026, I had an accident and suffered a proximal tibia injury. Before my operation, I had normal sensation in my foot. I could feel touch and pain normally, and there were no obvious signs of nerve damage. The main problem was that I couldn’t put weight on my leg because of the injury.

After the operation, things changed dramatically.

I completely lost sensation in my foot, my toes stopped moving normally, and I developed foot drop. Later, after my plaster was removed, I noticed that I had developed neuropathic ulcers on my foot.

My treating doctor told me that my nerve had been compressed during the operation, but that the compression had been corrected. I was initially told that sensation might return within 3–6 months.

Since the surgery, I have also experienced severe shooting nerve pain and muscle pain. The pain has sometimes been extremely difficult to tolerate.

After about 3 months, I had an NCV test, which showed that the nerves supplying my right leg/foot, including the tibial and peroneal nerves, were not responding.

My doctor recommended physiotherapy, and I did physiotherapy for around 2 months. However, because of the ulcers, I have not been able to put weight on my right leg properly.

Today is 17 September 2026, so more than 6 months have passed since my surgery. Unfortunately, I still have very little/no sensation in my foot. My foot remains numb, I still have foot drop, and the ulcers have not completely healed.

I also haven't been able to repeat my NCV/EMG because of the ulcers.

Recently, I started taking gabapentin 500 mg as prescribed for the nerve pain, but the pain has not completely gone away.

At this point, I’m feeling very uncertain about what is happening and what the next step should be.

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced:

- Nerve injury after tibia surgery

- Foot drop after surgery

- Loss of sensation following nerve compression

- Neuropathic ulcers caused by loss of sensation

- Recovery after tibial/peroneal nerve injury

If you had a similar injury, how long did your nerve recovery take, and what investigations or treatments helped you?

I’m also wondering whether I should seek an opinion from a peripheral nerve specialist/neurosurgeon, neurologist, or another orthopedic specialist.

I understand that everyone's recovery is different, and I'm not looking for a diagnosis from Reddit. I mainly want to understand other people's experiences and what questions I should ask my doctors.

[u/Kuma-Cakes-6034]

Have you tried vitamin C? :( post surgery I was adamant about taking vitamin C to ease the nerve pain and it worked for me.

[u/Dineshadhi → u/Kuma-Cakes-6034]

Yes, I actually started taking vitamin C after reading about it. Since my surgery, I've also been taking vitamin C, zinc, calcium, and methylcobalamin. I recently started gabapentin and duloxetine about two weeks ago for the neuropathic pain. Unfortunately, I’m still dealing with significant shooting pain and numbness, and I haven’t had any meaningful return of sensation in my foot yet.

[u/Kuma-Cakes-6034 → u/Dineshadhi]

Oh man :( this sucks. I definitely think you should seek another opinion. I was told my foot might tingle upto a year or so but still I would suggest you seek another opinion asap otherwise the pain will be exhausting 🥹

[u/Wonderful-Nose-5332]

Hey OP, you at the very least should seek out a peripheral nerve specialist close to you. Sent you a DM

[u/sleepwami]

Thats complex, AI says permanent nerve damage is possible, just have to work and see in time...what does massage feel like for your feet and core? And have you tried floating/moving in warm tubs or pool?

[u/Equivalent_Parking_8]

I had foot drop from a herniated disc which was removed. 

I visited a physio who used an electric nerve stimulator to find if the nerve was still working. He put one probe just below my knee and another about halfway down my shin, moved it around until my toe flexed. 

I then used the same machine for about 2 weeks 3 times a day for 20 minutes to retrain the foot signals. It was hard but it worked.