Sports traumatology, sports medicine and proprioception

• Published in: Journal of sports science & medicine 2009-12, Vol.8
• Main Author: Sekir, U
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ankles; Athletes; Balance; Feedback; Injuries; Knees; Ligaments; Patients; Sports; Sprains
• ISSN: 1303-2968; 1303-2968

The primary function of proprioception is prevention of both traumatic and overuse related sports injuries. Other tasks of proprioception include providing the athlete return to sport activities safe again with reduced, or even without injury risk following injury or surgery and enhancing the sports performance of the athlete. It has been shown in a study that the majority of injuries during soccer occurred in the lower extremities with 81%. The most common injury type within these injuries was ankle sprains (17.2%). The authors concluded that the cause for this high ratio may be insufficient ankle joint stability and/or sensorimotor deficiency. In parallel some authors suggested that ankle sprains can be prevented by external ankle supports and proprioceptive/coordination training, especially in athletes with previous ankle sprains. Training of neuromuscular and proprioceptive performance as well as improvement of jumping and landing technique seems to decrease the incidence of severe knee and ACL injuries. Such prevention programs are likely to be more effective in groups with an increased risk of injury. A study regarding this issue exhibited with stretching, strengthening, plyometrics, proprioception, and sports-specific drills an 88% decrease following 1 year, and 74% reduction following 2 year in ACL injuries. Alike, it was stated again that using a neuromuscular training program may have a direct benefit in decreasing the number of ACL injuries. A recent article recommended as the most important initial treatment approach in patients with ACL injuries improving dynamic single-limb stance balance and training threshold for detection of passive motion (kinesthesia) proprioceptive ability. On the basis of, that osteoarthrosis is associated with decreased proprioception, incorporating a multi-station proprioceptive exercise program also in patients with bilateral knee osteoarthrosis exhibited 30-40% improvements in sensorimotor tests following proprioceptive and balance training. On the other hand, it was signified that subjective knee function is related to proprioception. This means, patients with ACL rupture having symptoms possess more proprioceptive deficits compared to asymptomatic patients. Besides, abnormal knee joint proprioception was also established in individuals with patello-femoral pain syndrome (PFPS) and authors advised here also that proprioceptive rehabilitation techniques should be incorporated into the treatment of PFPS. Differently