Proprioception is the ability to sense the position and movement of a joint in space and it is a key component of balance and knee joint stability.
Page updated July 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
Why is proprioception important?
When proprioception is lost or diminished after injury or surgery, the body does not fully 'recognise' where the limb is at any one time, and it is more likely to become injured further.
What enables kneeproprioception?
Critical structures relating to knee stability, like the anterior cruciate ligament, may contain what are called 'mechanoreceptors' - special nerve structures that relay information to the brain about the position and movement of the knee at any one time.
Thus a person can be aware of the joint's position at any time and know when any movement is too extreme.
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Quote from peer-reviewed paper:
"....Mechanoreceptors, including Ruffini endings, Pacinian corpuscles, and Golgi tendon organ-like receptors....convert applied mechanical loads into afferent impulses to regulate the stability of the knee joint and possibly prevent ligament injury...."
Citation: Mir SM, Talebian S, Naseri N, Hadian MR. Assessment of Knee Proprioception in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk Position in Healthy Subjects: A Cross-sectional Study. J Phys Ther Sci. 2014 Oct;26(10):1515-8. doi: 10.1589/jpts.26.1515. Epub 2014 Oct 28. PMID: 25364100; PMCID: PMC4210385.
Forum discussions
- 'Listening Out' for Pain During Recovery?
Patient struggling to put into words what is experienced when properioception is lost after knee damage or surgery.
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