What are the nerve roots associated with heel walking?

Heel walking primarily tests the integrity of the L4 and L5 nerve roots, as well as the muscles innervated by these roots. The ability to walk on the heel is particularly associated with dorsiflexion of the foot, which is mainly controlled by the tibialis anterior muscle. This muscle is innervated by the deep fibular nerve, a branch of the common fibular nerve, which derives its motor function from the L4 and L5 nerve roots.

When walking on the heels, the individual must exhibit control over the ankle dorsiflexors. If there is an issue with the nerve roots L4 or L5, the individual may struggle to maintain a heel walking position due to weakness in those muscles. Therefore, the correlation to heel walking directly indicates the functional contribution of these specific nerve roots in controlling movement and stability during this activity.

In contrast, other nerve root pairings, such as L2 and L3 or L5 and S1, do not correspond directly with the specific functions tested during heel walking. L2 and L3 primarily contribute to hip flexion and knee extension, while L5 and S1 are more associated with plantarflexion and eversion, rather than dorsiflexion. Thus, the