Correlation between Proprioception Impairment and Onset of Muscle Activities in Knee Osteoarthritis

Background: Muscle strength and proprioception deficits have been recognized in knee OA. Indirect evidence suggests that muscle strength and proprioception deficits may be interrelated. However, these relationships have never been clearly evaluated. Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate relationships between Proprioception deficits and onset of muscle activities during sit to stand in patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis. Material and methods: 40 subjects from both genders of convenient sample were assigned into two equal groups; Group (A) consisted of 20 healthy control subjects, (8 males and 12 females) with mean age (47.4±2.28) and Group (B) consisted of 20 patients with UKOA (9 males and 11 females) with mean age (46.4±1.63). Proprioception measurement was recorded by taken three trials of active repositioning of knee joint. Onset of muscle activities of EMG signal recorded from vastus medialias and vastus lateralis muscles was measured by EMG during sit to stand. Results: Indicated that, there were significant differences between two groups in the onset of muscles activities of vastus medialis and vastus lateralis muscles, and proprioception where P-values were (0.03), (0.003) and (0.00) respectively. Also, there was significant positive correlation between proprioception and onset of muscles activities of vastus medialis where r2 value equals (0.592) and there was weak correlation between proprioception and onset of muscles activities of the vastus lateralis muscle where r2 value equals (0.381). Conclusion: Evidence was suggested that in the absence of adequate proprioceptive input, onset of muscle activities of quadriceps was greatly affected and the patient’s level of activities is also affected to a greater degree especially during sit to stand activities.