Proprioception in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Deficient and Reconstructed Knees

Abstract

Proprioceptive function of the knee was quantified and compared in three groups of patients: those with ante rior cruciate ligament deficiency, with hamstring ten dons-ligament augmentation device anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions, and with bone-patellar ten don-bone anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions. A total of 32 subjects, including 6 uninjured control sub jects, were tested for threshold to perception of passive motion of the knee. All other sensory input was neu tralized and testing occurred in the 30° to 40° range of knee flexion. The noninvolved contralateral knee served as a control for each subject. Each leg was moved at 0.5 deg/sec into flexion or extension in a random sequence. The variables of age, KT-1000 ar thrometer scores, injury-to-surgery interval, injury-to- followup interval, and patient satisfaction were statisti cally analyzed for correlation with threshold to perception of passive motion of the knee. Control sub jects showed no statistically significant differences in threshold between their two knees. The three test groups all showed significantly higher values in the involved knee compared with the noninvolved knee ( P < 0.01). However, no statistically significant differ ences were found between the groups, including con trols, with respect to mean threshold to perception of passive motion. According to these results, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction did not improve pro prioception in the patients in this study.