Proprioceptive impairment in knee osteoarthritis.

Proprioception, the perception of limb position in space, is derived from afferent signals originating primarily from musculotendinous and joint receptors. Proprioception is critical to the maintenance of joint stability. Studies have demonstrated that proprioception is less accurate in patients with knee osteoarthritis versus elderly control subjects, in healthy older versus younger subjects, and in the setting of other conditions affecting the knee including anterior cruciate ligament deficiency and hypermobility syndrome. Possible pathways between proprioceptive inaccuracy, knee osteoarthritis, and related knee disorders are described.