Browsing by Author "Rhode, Carlyn"
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- ItemProprioceptive differences in individuals with Anterior knee pain(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Rhode, Carlyn; Louw, Quinette A.; Williams, Leonè G.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Physiotherapy.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Introduction: Anterior knee pain (AKP) affects physically active as well as sedentary individuals and commonly leads to chronic knee pain among young adults. Anterior knee pain has a huge socioeconomic impact on those affected as management remains challenging with symptoms persisting for years even after medical intervention. Proprioception plays an important role in sensory motor control of the knee and impacts motor action and knee joint stability. There are conflicting reports in the current literature on whether people with AKP have altered proprioception. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the proprioceptive abilities of individuals affected with anterior knee pain using a gold standard measurement tool. Proprioception was measured by compare active joint position sense during a weight bearing (single leg stance) and a none weight bearing task (active knee extension in sitting) between knees with AKP and knees without AKP. Methodology: A laboratory based descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to conduct this study. The Vicon 3D motion analysis system was used to test proprioception. Twenty-five participants who met the inclusion criteria and gave informed consent, were included in the study. Fifty knees were evaluated; 37 knees with AKP and 13 without AKP. Proprioception was measured by means of two active joint position sense testing in both a weight bearing (single leg squat) and a non-weight bearing (active knee extension) test position. Target angles were selfdetermined based on each participant’s capabilities and pain levels. The absolute error (AE) was used as the main outcome measure to assess proprioception. A normative criterion of an AE equal and greater than five degrees was classified as altered proprioception. The proprioception of the knees with AKP were compared to that of the knees without AKP. Results: The study participants were predominantly female (n=22) with a mean age of 27.8 years. Seventy-six percent (76%, n= 19) of the population were physically active and 44%, (n=11) reported being runners. The main finding of this study was that there was no significant difference in proprioception when comparing the knees with AKP to the knees without AKP (p <0.05). However, individuals with altered proprioception was identified in both the knees with AKP and the knees without AKP. The mean AE for the knees with AKP was 7.4o during SLS and 8.3o during active knee extension; whereas the mean AE for the knees without AKP were 8.3o during SLS and 5.9o during active knee extension. Insignificant differences were found via Chi-square calculations between the knees with AKP compared to the knees without AKP during single leg squat and during active knee extension. Conclusion: The current study findings showed that proprioception is not significantly more impaired in knees with AKP compared to knees without AKP during active reproduction proprioceptive testing. This study did however identify a group of individuals with altered proprioception, in both the knees with AKP and the knees without AKP. A likely reason could be due to compensation during gait in patients with AKP as well as the accuracy of the Vicon 3D motion analysis system. There was a tendency towards a larger mean AE during active knee extension in sitting in the knees with AKP. This finding could be reflective of the proprioceptive abilities of the knee joint specifically. The findings in this study support the assessment of proprioception in both knees in individuals with AKP and not only the knees with AKP.