Parallelism of vibration sense with proprioception sense in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: a pilot study
Devrim Akseki1, Mehmet Erduran1, Sabri Özarslan1, Halit Pınar2
1Balıkesir Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Anabilim Dalı, Balıkesir
2Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Anabilim Dalı, İzmir
Keywords: Patellofemoral pain syndrome; proprioception; vibration.
Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the utility of vibration sense as a proprioceptive test in patients with a clinical diagnosis of patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Patients and methods: Nineteen patients with a clinical diagnosis of patellofemoral pain syndrome and 10 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Patients and volunteers underwent a joint position sense test and a vibration sense test. A digital goniometer and 128 Hz frequency tuning fork were used for the measurements. The results of the pathologic knees were compared with the results of both their contralateral knees and the normal knees of the volunteers. T-test, Mann Whitney U and Pearson correlation tests were used for statistical analysis.
Results: The amount of time to percieve the vibration was 7.2±1.3 sec for the symptomatic knees, whereas it was 9.1±1.5 sec for the contralateral knees (p<0.05), each in the extended position. Joint position sense testing also showed deterioration of proprioception in accordance with the vibration testing. Similar differences were obtained between the symptomatic knees and the normal knees of volunteers (p<0.05). No differences were found in vibration sense measurements done at a 90º flexion position of the knee (p>0.05).
Conclusion: The results of the study show that the amount of time a vibration could be perceived is diminished in the symptomatic knees of the patients as compared to symptomatic knees. It is possible to extrapolate from these findings that vibration perception may be used for proprioceptive measurement.