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Sensorimotor control deficiency in recurrent anterior shoulder instability assessed with a stabilometric force
Pascal Edouard1, David Gasq2, Paul Calmels3
1Department of Clinical and Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine Unit, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Etienne, France; Laboratory of Exercise Physiology (LPE EA 4338), University of Lyon, Saint-Etienne, France; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France.
Background:
Deficiencies in both afferent proprioceptive information and efferent motor responses have been independently reported in patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability. We used a validated force platform method to analyze the association between the stabilometric parameters of the upper limb as representative of the shoulder's sensorimotor control and clinical glenohumeral joint instability.
Methods:
We enrolled 32 patients with unilateral recurrent anterior post-traumatic shoulder dislocation, on the dominant side in 13 patients (DIG) and the non-dominant side in 19 patients (NDIG) and 16 healthy nonathletic subjects (CG). Displacements of the Center of Pressure were measured by a Win-Posturo Medicapteurs force platform in the upper limb weight-bearing position with the lower limbs resting on a table up to the anterior superior iliac spines. The association between stabilometric values and clinical shoulder instability was analyzed by side-to-side comparisons and comparisons to a control group.
Results:
For CG and NDIG, there were no side-to-side differences. For DIG, stabilometric values were significantly higher on the dominant pathological shoulder side than on the healthy contralateral non-dominant side (P < .01). The percentage of side-to-side differences was higher in DIG than CG (P < .01).
Conclusion:
Sensorimotor control deficiency was associated with recurrent anterior shoulder instability, especially in patients with the pathological shoulder on their dominant side. Using a force platform to assess sensorimotor control of the shoulder is feasible in patients with shoulder instability, and can allow assessment of the global sensorimotor control deficiency present in unstable shoulders.
