CONTEXT: There is conflicting evidence in the literature regarding whether women with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) demonstrate impaired proprioception. This study examined dynamic-position-sense accuracy and central-nervous-system (CNS) processing time between those with and without long-term ACLR. OBJECTIVE: To compare proprioception of knee movement in women with ACLR and healthy controls. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Human neuromuscular performance laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: 11 women (age 22.64 ± 2.4 y) with ACLR (1.6-5.8 y postsurgery) and 20 women without (age 24.05 ± 1.4 y). INTERVENTIONS: The authors evaluated subjects using 3 methods to assess position sense. During knee flexion at pseudorandomly selected speeds (40°, 60°, 80°, 90°, and 100°/s), subjects indicated with their index finger when their knee reached a predetermined target angle (50°). Accuracy was calculated as an error score. CNS processing time was computed using the time to detect movement and the minimum time of angle indication. Passive and active joint-position sense were also determined at a slow velocity (3°/s) from various knee-joint starting angles. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Absolute and constant error of target angle, indication accuracy, CNS processing time, and perceived function. RESULTS: Both subject groups showed similar levels of error during dynamic-position-sense testing, despite continued differences in perceived knee function. Estimated CNS processing time was 260 ms for both groups. Joint-position sense during slow active or passive movement did not differ between cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Control and ACLR subjects demonstrated similar dynamic, passive, and active joint-position-sense error and CNS processing speed even though ACLR subjects reported greater impairment of function. The impairment of proprioception is independent of post-ACLR perception of function.
CONTEXT: There is conflicting evidence in the literature regarding whether women with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) demonstrate impaired proprioception. This study examined dynamic-position-sense accuracy and central-nervous-system (CNS) processing time between those with and without long-term ACLR. OBJECTIVE: To compare proprioception of knee movement in women with ACLR and healthy controls. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING:Human neuromuscular performance laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: 11 women (age 22.64 ± 2.4 y) with ACLR (1.6-5.8 y postsurgery) and 20 women without (age 24.05 ± 1.4 y). INTERVENTIONS: The authors evaluated subjects using 3 methods to assess position sense. During knee flexion at pseudorandomly selected speeds (40°, 60°, 80°, 90°, and 100°/s), subjects indicated with their index finger when their knee reached a predetermined target angle (50°). Accuracy was calculated as an error score. CNS processing time was computed using the time to detect movement and the minimum time of angle indication. Passive and active joint-position sense were also determined at a slow velocity (3°/s) from various knee-joint starting angles. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Absolute and constant error of target angle, indication accuracy, CNS processing time, and perceived function. RESULTS: Both subject groups showed similar levels of error during dynamic-position-sense testing, despite continued differences in perceived knee function. Estimated CNS processing time was 260 ms for both groups. Joint-position sense during slow active or passive movement did not differ between cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Control and ACLR subjects demonstrated similar dynamic, passive, and active joint-position-sense error and CNS processing speed even though ACLR subjects reported greater impairment of function. The impairment of proprioception is independent of post-ACLR perception of function.
Authors: Bruce Reider; Michel A Arcand; Lee H Diehl; Kenneth Mroczek; Armand Abulencia; C Christopher Stroud; Melanie Palm; Jennifer Gilbertson; Patricia Staszak Journal: Arthroscopy Date: 2003-01 Impact factor: 4.772