Proprioception and joint stability.

In the present paper the current clinical knowledge about proprioception is given for the shoulder, knee, ankle, elbow and the radiocarpal joint. Proprioceptive capabilities are decreased after joint injuries such as ACL or meniscus tears, shoulder dislocation, ankle sprain and in joints with degenerative joint disease. Some surgical procedures seem to restore the proprioceptive abilities; others do not. Elastic knee bandages or ankle braces increase different proprioceptive factors like ankle reproduction capability or sports-specific abilities. The present information on proprioception will influence our clinical practice in the future. We should choose surgical procedures that not only reconstruct the anatomy, but also the neurophysiologic feed-back mechanism.