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CC BY 4.0 · Int J Sports Med 2025; 46(06): 422-429
DOI: 10.1055/a-2526-9372
Training & Testing

Knee angle reproduction tests: influences of body orientation, movement direction and limb dominance

Juliane Wieber 
1   Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine, Olympic Training Centre Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2   Sports and Exercise Medicine, University of Hamburg Faculty of Education Psychology and Physical Science, Hamburg, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14915)
,
Abigail Preece
3   Institute of Movement and Neuroscience, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14926)
4   Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14926)
,
Robert Rein 
4   Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14926)
,
Bjoern Braunstein 
3   Institute of Movement and Neuroscience, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14926)
5   Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopaedics, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14926)
6   German Research Centre of Elite Sport, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14926)
7   Centre for Health and Integrative Physiology in Space, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN14926)
› Author AffiliationsRegistration number (trial ID): https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AFWRP (OSF-Open Science Framework), Trial registry: German Clinical Trials Register (https://drks-neu.uniklinik-freiburg.de/), Type of Study: Prospective observational study.
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Abstract

Applying joint position sense tests under different test conditions may introduce reproduction error bias, which can result in different therapeutic consequences. This study investigated the effects of body orientation, movement direction, and limb dominance on the active knee angle reproduction error. Subjects underwent active contralateral knee angle reproduction tests in a seated versus prone position, from a starting point of knee flexion versus knee extension, and with the dominant versus nondominant limb setting the target angle. The test order was randomly determined for each subject. The primary outcome was the absolute active knee angle reproduction error (°). The data of 54 healthy subjects (mean±standard deviation, age: 26±5 years, height: 174±11 cm, body mass: 69.9±14.4 kg, and Tegner activity score: 5.8±1.9) showed that the reproduction error was greater in the seated position than in the prone position. The use of the dominant limb as the reference limb was associated with significantly greater errors in the seated position, but not in the prone position. In conclusion, directly comparing the results obtained in the prone and seated positions is not recommended. However, the dominance of the reference limb might be relevant when testing patients and comparing healthy and injured knees.

Keywords

return to sport - return to competition - physiotherapy - orthopaedics - proprioception - joint position sense


Publication History

Received: 31 July 2024

Accepted after revision: 24 January 2025

Article published online:
20 February 2025

© 2025.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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