Interexaminer, intraexaminer and test-retest reliability of clinical knee joint-position-sense measurements using an...

Knee joint-position sense (JPS) plays a critical role in controlled and stable joint movement. Poor ability to sense position of the knee can therefore increase risk of injury. There is no agreed consensus on JPS measurement techniques and a lack of reliability statistics on methods.

To identify the most reliable knee JPS measurement technique using image capture.

Interexaminer, intraexaminer, and test-retest reliability of knee JPS measurements.

Biomechanics laboratory.

10 asymptomatic participants.

None.

Relative and absolute error scores of knee JPS in 3 conditions (sitting, prone, active) through 3 ranges of movement (10-30°, 30-60°, 60-90°), into 2 directions (flexion and extension) using both legs (dominant and nondominant) collected during 15 trials and repeated 7 d after the first data collection.

Statistical analysis by intraclass correlations revealed excellent interexaminer reliability between researchers (.98) and intraexaminer reliability within 1 researcher (.96). Test-retest reliability was highest in the sitting condition from a starting angle of 0°, target angle through 60-90° of flexion, using the dominant leg and absolute-error-score variables (ICC = .92). However, it was noted smallest detectable differences were a high percentage of mean values for all measures.

The most reliable JPS measurement for asymptomatic participants has been identified. Practitioners should use this protocol when collecting JPS data during prescreening sessions. However, generalizability of findings to a class/group of clients exhibiting knee pathologies should be done with caution.