Joint receptor contributions to reflexive and kinesthetic responses.

This article presents a review of the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of joint receptors. The role of joint receptors in signaling position and movement has been studied since the early part of this century. Morphological descriptions and reflexive and kinesthetic contributions of articular receptors in the regulation of motor behavior have been identified in studies on anesthetized animals and to a lesser extent in studies on human subjects. Areas for future laboratory and clinical research include articular receptor input in motor learning and relearning tasks as well as standardization of methodology and responses for assessing joint position.