Comparison of the Knee Joint Repositioning Error in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Patients and Healthy Individuals

One of the main components of somatosensory system is proprioception, which can be measured via position sense, movement sense, and sense of force. Although local investigation of proprioception is important, its influences in a kinetic chain particularly between spine and extremities should not be ignored. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare knee joint proprioception in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain (CNSLBP) and heathy people in different lumbar posions.
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A total of 25 healthy and 20 female participants with CNSLBP took part in the current study. Knee joint reposition error in lumbar flexion, neutral position, 50% of rotation to left (Lt Rot), and 50% of rotation to right (Rt Rot) with closed eyes in sitting were evaluated using inclinometer. Also, absolute and constant errors were obtained and analyzed.

Absolute and constant errors in flexion and neutral positions in CNSLBP patients were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects, but they were not significantly different in 50% rot to either sides.

Knee joint repositioning error increased in CNSLBP patients compared with healthy participants. This finding suggests that proprioception and sensory-motor training programs can improve joint position sense in the lower limb specifically in the knee joint as well as the low back in CNSLBP patients.