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Updated: May 27, 2026

Measuring 3D In-vivo Shoulder Kinematics using Biplanar Videoradiography
Published on: March 12, 2021
Three-dimensional repositioning tasks show differences in joint position sense between active and passive shoulder
R I Carl Erickson1, Andrew R Karduna
1Department of Human Physiology, 1240 University of Oregon, Esslinger 122, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1240, USA.
Shoulder proprioception, or joint position sense, was tested using active and passive movements. Passive movements resulted in greater repositioning errors, highlighting differences in how the shoulder senses its position.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Neuroscience
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Shoulder joint stability relies heavily on proprioception.
- Prior research focused on active shoulder motion, neglecting passive motion's impact on joint position sense.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate joint position sense using three-dimensional passive, robot-guided shoulder motions.
- To compare repositioning errors between passively and actively placed shoulder targets.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen healthy participants underwent two sets of 10 trials.
- Trials involved active placement followed by active replacement, and passive, robot-guided placement followed by active replacement.
- Target orientations were standardized at 44° elevation and 32° horizontal rotation.
Main Results:
- Repositioning error was significantly greater following passive placement compared to active placement (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Passive shoulder movements lead to increased joint position sense errors compared to active movements.
- Findings enhance understanding of the distinctions between active and passive proprioception in the shoulder.
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