A Gender-based Study of Proprioception in the Lower Limbs of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and progressive disease of the central nervous system that causes sensory impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the proprioception of the knee joint and ankle of dominant and no-dominant extremities in MS patients with an emphasis on sex.
In this descriptive comparative study, 60 patients with MS were selected from the Iran MS Society in Tehran using the convenience sampling method and divided into the two groups (males and females). The joint position sense was measured by a digital electrogoniometer in three different angles in both right and left knees and ankles. Data were analyzed using the paired t test and independent t test with the SPSS software version 16.
According to the results of this study, the joint position sense in dominant extremities of the knee showed a significant difference between the two groups only in 25 extension (P = 0.01). Also, the results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in 10-degree ankle dorsiflexion and 20 plantar flexion (P = 0.01), but no significant difference was observed in the non-dominant extremities.
The results suggest that the MS patients suffer from disorders of proprioception, especially in the ankle joint. Thus, paying attention to this joint is recommended for rehabilitation of these patients.