Joint position sense in individuals with anterior knee pain.

Quinette A Louw,Dominique C Leibbrandt,Leone Williams,Carlyn Rhode

doi:10.4102/sajp.v77i1.1497

Quinette A Louw, Dominique C Leibbrandt + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v77i1.1497

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Abstract

BackgroundAnterior knee pain (AKP) commonly affects both physically active and sedentary individuals and the aetiology is unknown. Altered joint position sense (JPS) impacts accurate motor action and knee joint stability. It is unclear whether people with AKP have altered JPS.ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to investigate JPS in the knees of individuals with AKP.MethodA descriptive cross-sectional study measured JPS in 25 participants with unilateral or bilateral AKP. JPS was measured using active JPS testing during single leg squat (SLS) and active knee extension (AKE) in sitting. Target angles (TA) were self-determined based on each participant’s capabilities. The absolute error (AE) was the main outcome measure. Impaired JPS was classified as an AE equal to or greater than five degrees.ResultsThere were no significant differences in JPS when comparing the affected and unaffected knees in participants with AKP (p > 0.05). However, a subgroup of participants with altered knee JPS was identified. There was a tendency towards greater knee flexion in the TAs of knees without AKP.ConclusionOur results showed that JPS is not significantly more impaired in knees with AKP compared with knees without AKP in a group of individuals with AKP. A subgroup with altered JPS in knees with and without AKP was identified. This finding could be because of compensatory gait patterns and the precision of the Vicon 3D motion analysis system.Clinical implicationsJoint position sense should be assessed bilaterally in individuals with AKP.

Highlights

Anterior knee pain (AKP) is a common condition affecting the knee joints of both young, physically active and sedentary individuals (Crossley et al 2016)
A total of 12 (52%) participants reported having AKP symptoms in both knees and 10 (40%) reported their right knee as most affected
Our study which included a young cohort of South Africans showed that there were no significant differences in knee joint position sense (JPS) when comparing the knees with AKP to those without AKP during single leg squat (SLS) or the active knee extension (AKE) positions and adds to the knowledge base of JPS in young people with AKP

Summary

Introduction

Anterior knee pain (AKP) is a common condition affecting the knee joints of both young, physically active and sedentary individuals (Crossley et al 2016). Management of AKP remains challenging with 91% of patients with AKP reporting persistent symptoms after extended follow-up and medical management (Dutton et al 2016) It is, important to understand the aetiological pathways that may cause the pain. Anterior knee pain (AKP) commonly affects both physically active and sedentary individuals and the aetiology is unknown. Altered joint position sense (JPS) impacts accurate motor action and knee joint stability It is unclear whether people with AKP have altered JPS

Results

Discussion

Conclusion