Title: Weight-Bearing and Non-Weight Bearing Proprioception Assessment of Dominant and Non-Dominant Lower Limbs in Adult Females

Author: Abeer F. Hanafy

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i2.45

Abstract

Background: Weight-bearing (WB) assessment has long been reported to be more accurate and functionally related than non-weight-bearing (NWB) assessment. Yet, there is lack of knowledge that supports its relation with proprioception accuracy and functional performance.

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between WB and NWB active joint reposition sense (JRS) and a functional hop test. In addition to determining whether there are differences of these parameters between the dominant and non-dominant extremities.

Methods: Thirty adult females with mean age 20.3± 1.46 years and BMI 32.56 ± 3.26 kg/m2 participated in the study. They were tested under two conditions for both lower limbs that were tested randomly; WB and NWB. 

Results: Two-Way ANOVA revealed that the absolute errors of the JRS testing were significantly high during NWB testing compared with WB testing of both lower extremities (p<0.05). Moreover, the ANOVA revealed a significant reduction in the absolute error values of JRS with the dominant limbs compared with the non-dominant limbs (P<0.05) during both testing procedures. Additionally, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) showed moderate significant negative correlations between the hopping distances and absolute JRS testing errors of both NWB and WB testing of only the dominant lower limbs (r= -0.50, P= 0.034) and (r= -0.511, P= 0.030) respectively.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that WB proprioception assessment produced more accurate and functionally related results than NWB assessment especially for the dominant lower extremities in healthy adult females.

Keywords: Proprioception, weight-bearing, non-weight-bearing, closed kinetic chain, functional performance.

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Corresponding Author

Abeer F. Hanafy

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