The Validity and Reliability of Knee Proprioception Measurement Performed With Inclinometer in Different Positions

Proprioception is the basic element of the spontaneous control of movement, balance and joint stability. Therefore, it is necessary for the execution of walking and daily and sport activities. Loss of proprioception of the knee, which may cause a new injury, is important to evaluate the position sense of the joint during the rehabilitation period. However, the evaluation methods that are used are very expensive, complicated and non-portable, or the measuring method is difficult to implement.

We demonstrated the validity and reliability of knee proprioception measurements performed in the open kinetic chain position and closed kinetic chain position with a dual inclinometer.

We assessed the validity and intra-tester reliability of a digital inclinometer for measuring the knee joint position sense in different positions.

Clinical laboratory.

We enrolled 22 participants (age = 21.8 ± 0.95 years, height = 172 ± 9.1 cm, weight = 64.9 ± 14 kg) into the study.

The same investigator used an inclinometer to take knee proprioception measurements in open and closed kinetic chain positions.

The relative angular error was calculated by taking the arithmetic average of the difference between the target angle and reproduced angle and was the main outcome measure.

We found that the dynamometer-inclinometer had a moderate ICC value (ICC = 0.594, SEM = 1.60, p = 0.005), whereas inclinometer t₁ vs inclinometer t₂ (ICC = 0.778, SEM = 0.62, p < 0.001) and closed kinetic chain position t₁ and closed kinetic chain position t₂ (ICC = 0.888, SEM = 0.63, p < 0.001) had high ICC values.

Knee proprioception measurements performed with a dual inclinometer were reliable in the closed kinetic chain position in healthy, sedentary individuals and were valid and reliable in the open kinetic chain position.