Effects of osteoarthritis and fatigue on proprioception of the knee joint.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and periarticular muscular fatigue on knee joint kinesthesia.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: A physical medicine and rehabilitation outpatient clinic.

Participants: Fifty patients with bilateral OA of the knee, and a control group of 30 age-matched healthy volunteers.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: The Kellgren-Lawrence grading system was used to determine the radiographic severity of knee OA. The Lequesne index of severity for knee osteoarthritis was used for assessment of pain, kinesthesia was measured by determining angle reposition error at the knee joint using isokinetic dynamometry, and muscle strength was measured by isokinetic dynamometry.

Results: Reposition errors did not differ between the patient and the control groups, nor did they differ between pre- and postexercise.

Conclusions: Mild-to-moderate OA of the knees does not affect reposition error. Fatigue produced by mild-to-moderate exercise also has no effect on reposition error.