Proprioception of the shoulder joint after surgical repair for Instability: a long-term follow-up study

• Published in: The American journal of sports medicine Vol. 32; no. 2; p. 425
• Main Authors: Pötzl, Wolfgang, Thorwesten, Lothar, Götze, Christian, Garmann, Stefan, Steinbeck, Jörn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.03.2004
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Joint Instability - surgery; Male; Middle Aged; Orthopedic Procedures; Postoperative Complications; Proprioception; Range of Motion, Articular; Shoulder Joint - pathology; Shoulder Joint - surgery
• ISSN: 0363-5465
• DOI: 10.1177/0363546503261719

Proprioceptive capabilities play an important role in stability of the shoulder joint. Decreased proprioceptive capabilities can improve by surgical repair of shoulder instability. Prospective long-term study. The proprioceptive capabilities of 14 patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability were examined preoperative and with a minimum follow-up of 5 years postoperative using the angle reproduction test. The patients' data were compared to a healthy control group. The joint position sense improved significantly in abduction, flexion, and rotation (P <.05). The preoperative difference from the target joint position was 9.3 degrees (SD, 4.6 degrees ) for the summarized positions in abduction, 9.1 degrees (SD, 4.5 degrees ) in flexion, and 10.1 degrees (SD, 5.1 degrees ) in rotation. Postoperatively, it improved to 5.6 degrees (SD, 2.9 degrees ) in abduction, 5.6 degrees (SD, 2.7 degrees ) in flexion, and 5.0 degrees (SD, 1.8 degrees ) in rotation. The joint position sense of the uninvolved contralateral shoulder improved too. Five years after surgical repair for shoulder instability, the joint position sense improved significantly, to a level of normal, healthy shoulders.