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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
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Spontaneous and Evoked Measures of Pain in Murine Models of Monoarticular Knee Pain
Published on: February 22, 2019
Intra-articular anesthesia and knee muscle response
Heidi L Oksendahl1, Braden C Fleming, Peter R Blanpied
1Bioengineering Labs, Department of Orthopaedic Research, Brown Medical School, Providence, RI, USA.
Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)
|March 14, 2007
Summary
Intra-articular knee injections of local anesthetic did not alter automatic postural responses to foot perturbations. Neuromuscular responses remained consistent, suggesting compensatory mechanisms or unaffected receptors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Kinesiology
Background:
- Intra-articular knee receptors influence neuromuscular control.
- Understanding these receptors' role in postural responses is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare automatic postural responses after knee anesthesia versus sham or no injection.
- To investigate the effect of local anesthetic on neuromuscular responses to perturbation.
Main Methods:
- Electromyography (EMG) measured muscle onset latencies and response magnitudes in 30 subjects.
- Perturbations were applied to the foot before and after intra-articular bupivacaine, saline, or no injection.
- Subjects were randomized into treatment, sham, or control groups.
Main Results:
- Intra-articular injections did not significantly alter muscle onset latencies or automatic response magnitudes.
- Latencies varied significantly between quadriceps (vastus medialis/lateralis) and hamstring/tibialis anterior muscles.
- Tibialis anterior showed the greatest response magnitude, followed by hamstrings, then quadriceps.
Conclusions:
- Local anesthetic injection in the knee did not affect automatic postural responses to foot perturbations.
- This suggests intra-articular receptors may be unaffected by the anesthetic or compensated for by other receptors.
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