Effects of age on neuromuscular knee joint control.

Age-related changes in neuromuscular function may have adverse effects on hamstring reflex activity and may impair knee joint stability. The aim of this study was to investigate whether increasing age affects hamstring short latency responses (SLR), medium latency responses (MLR), and anterior tibial translation. In 40 healthy subjects ranging from 20 to 70 years of age we assessed hamstring muscle latencies and integrals for both hamstring reflex components (SLRs and MLRs) as well as anterior tibial translation in order to quantify knee joint stability in response to induced tibial translation during stance.