Difference in Knee Proprioception between Injured and Non-Injured Football Players

Proprioception and knee injury 1
THE DIFFERENCE IN KNEE PROPRIOCEPTION ON INJURED AND NON-INJURED
FOOTBALL PLAYERS
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Proprioception and knee injury 2
Difference in knee proprioception between injured and non-injured football players
Summary
In 1906, Sir Charles Sherrington referred to proprioception as the awareness of position
of the joints and body movements (Han et al, 2016). Proprioceptive function of the knee
ligaments has been a subject of much research; especially the anterior cruciate ligament. They
play an important role in the stability of the knee. They are also important for efficient transfer of
muscle force effectively over a stable joint. Considered one of the most played sports in the
world is football. Footballers are daily exposed to potential injuries with knee injuries being the
most commonly sustained injuries. The research covers the difference in knee proprioception
between the groups: injured and non-injured footballers (Cronström, Creaby, Nae, and Ageberg,
2016, p. 315). This research is important as the knee is a complex joint and it is very vulnerable
to injury. A comparative study design was used to collect data. It included one hundred and six
male professional footballers. This study is important because professional football players are at
a constant exposure to risk of knee injury every time they step into the field. The appropriate
training is required of them to minimize risk.

Proprioception and knee injury 3
Introduction
The body, to control movements, integrates proprioceptive information from the
mechanoreceptors. In competitive sports like football, price body movement is important to
ensure success (Zech and Wellmann, 2017). The capability to analyze signals from
mechanoreceptors in order to determine the position of body segments in space is proprioception
(Han et al, 2016). It is the individual’s ability to recognize the location of body parts, whether
consciously or subconsciously. It is considered crucial for normal motor control. The spine, brain
stem and higher cortical centres are where the proprioceptive information is processed. The
cerebellum and the cerebral nuclei also process proprioceptive information (Bosco and Poppele,
2001; Amaral, 2013; Lisberger and Thach, 2013; Pearson and Gordon, 2013).Performance in
football is enhanced by central processing in proprioception. One is required to pay attention
when learning complex skills in football, such as when dribbling the ball with the foot. As one
learns movement skills, as the proprioceptive information is been processed the player is learning
new skills in movement. A beginner athlete uses the closed loop system to master new skills. An
elite soccer player spends more time on tasks such as pinpointing the location of his teammates
and players of the opposing team than on his moves. This is due to the player using little
cognitive ability to process the proprioceptive information of movement as found out by Han et
al. To date, the mechanisms underlying proprioceptive control are unclear. Han et al found out
that the processing of sense of effort was done centrally. The findings of Han et al differ from the
current knowledge of movement-related proprioception. Under the current literature, central and
peripheral mechanisms are needed. However, Han et al. found out peripheral sensory
information provided little or no assistance to movement-related proprioception.

Proprioception and knee injury 4
Several methods for testing proprioception are utilized. The three main testing methods
are; JPR, AMEDA and TTDPM. These methods have different concepts, different testing
conditions and different aspects of proprioceptive modalities (Han et al, 2016). Medical and
sports science researcher have spend tremendous amount of time conducting research on knee
proprioception. AMEDA approach is the most to difference in knee proprioception. This is due
to that fact that it examines proprioception functions under normal conditions. Researchers are
able to do a comparison when other factors come into play apart from the normal conditions. The
AMEDA approach has proven to be effective in assessing proprioception during performance of
exercises and sports. E.g. football
Football as a sport involves a lot of physical activity with varied intensity at any given
moments. The sport exposes the footballer to high risks of injury due to the heavy physical
contacts among players. The knee is a very complex joint. It manages the high loads between
patella, femur, tibia and fibula. The knee is surrounded by muscles, the quadriceps and hamstring
groups. The co-contraction of the surrounding muscles helps stabilize extension and flexion of
the knee (relph, 2015). The sense of location of knee joints is transmitted to the central nervous
system by the joint capsules and ligaments found in the knee. They play a role in protecting the
knee from injury through reflexes (Barrack et al., 1994). It is very vulnerable to injury during
moments of play in football. Several factors do affect the proprioception of the knee: when a
player is in pain, proprioception can be affected. This results to the gamma-muscle spindle
system sensitivity and reflex abilities to change (Johansson et al., 2003); trauma and fatigue,
injury risk increases after exhausting physical activity among footballers. In the long run altered
proprioception may be linked to increased risk to injury.