A study of 21 people with transtibial amputations was conducted to evaluate the correlation between knee joint position sense and physical functional performance. The researchers found that the knee joint position sense on the amputated side was associated with physical functional performance and should be considered when prescribing prostheses and planning rehabilitation programs.
The research team used a digital inclinometer to evaluate the participants’ residual knee joint position sense, and the Timed Up and Go Test, the Four Square Step Test (FSST), and the Ten-meter Walk Test (10MWT) evaluated physical functional performance. Linear regression analysis was used to investigate the associations between independent variables and functional performance tests.
The mean age of the participants was 52.52 ± 15.68 years. The mean of the error in knee joint position sense was 5.33 degrees (standard deviation 3.08 degrees). The error in knee joint position sense of the amputated limb predicted 45 percent of the variance in the FSST and 22 percent of the variance in the 10MWT.
The study, “Investigation of the correlation between knee joint position sense and physical functional performance in individuals with transtibial amputation,” was published in Prosthetics and Orthotics International.
