Impact of knee arthroplasty on knee sensorimotor system performance

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Advanced gonarthrosis leads to joint degeneration, affecting knee proprioception and sensorimotor performance.
• Understanding these deficits is crucial for managing degenerative joint disease and fall risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of gonarthrosis on knee proprioception and sensorimotor function.
• To assess the effect of knee arthroplasty on these parameters.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 62 gonarthrosis patients undergoing knee replacement and 74 healthy controls were studied.
• Joint Position Sense (JPS) and a novel Sensorimotor Control Test (SCT) were used for assessment.
• Arthroplasty patients were tested pre-surgery and at 8 and 100 days post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Pre-surgery, arthroplasty patients exhibited significant deficits in both JPS and SCT compared to controls.
• While JPS improved by 100 days post-surgery, SCT scores remained below healthy levels.
• The healthy limb of arthroplasty patients had better JPS than the operated limb.

Conclusions:

• Proprioceptive and sensorimotor deficits in gonarthrosis patients may accelerate disease progression and increase fall risk.
• The developed Sensorimotor Control Test (SCT) is a potentially objective and comprehensive tool for evaluating knee sensorimotor performance.
• The SCT offers qualitative assessment valuable for clinical therapeutic settings.