Clinical measurement of proprioceptive function after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

ABSTRACT

Proprioception is very important for the integrity and stability of the knee joint. Patients with anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] tear have a decline in proprioceptive functions of the injured knee. However, improvement of proprioceptive functions of the knee after ACL reconstruction is a subject of considerable debate. This study was conducted to evaluate the results of a simple clinical proprioception test developed by the author in patients with ACL reconstructed knees. This study was conducted in King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from January 1996 to June 2002. The proprioceptive function of the knee joint was studied in a group of ACL reconstructed patients [n=22] and compared them with a group of ACL deficient patients [n=32] and a group of healthy controls [n=30]. Proprioception was evaluated based on the performance in a simple clinical test. There was a significant difference in proprioceptive functions between the ACL deficient knees and the ACL reconstructed group [p<0.05], but there was no significant difference between the ACL reconstructed and the normal control group [p>0.05]. These findings indicate that proprioceptive deficits in ACL deficient knees, as measured clinically using the described test, might improve after ACL reconstruction