A New System to Objectively Measure Ankle Proprioception

Abstract

Proprioceptive afferents from the ankle joint are essential feedback for maintaining balance. However, there is no widely accepted test or measurement system available for determining the proprioceptive accuracy of the human ankle joint. Here, we present a system with a novel hardware design that applies an established psychometric testing protocol that generates a Just-Noticeable-Difference (JND) threshold as a measure of ankle proprioceptive acuity at the end of testing. To establish the system validity, twelve healthy adult participants completed the assessment. Testing required 25 trials and took approximately 10 minutes to complete. We show exemplar data of the ankle JND threshold and the summary results for all twelve participants. This assessment has the potential to become a tool for clinicians to identify proprioceptive impairment at the ankle and to assess the efficacy of sensorimotor interventions for improving balance in clinical populations.

Identifying body awareness-related brain network changes after Spring Forest Qigong™ practice or P.Volve low-intensity exercise in adults with chronic low back pain: a feasibility Phase I Randomized Clinical Trial

“…The feasibility of this system and reliability of assessments of proprioceptive acuity and sensitivity of the ankle joint in the sagittal plane were established in previous studies. 72,73 The testing was performed by graduate students, in person, in the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab (co-author Dr Konczak's lab).…”

“…The feasibility of this system was established in a previous study. 71 The testing was performed by graduate students, in person, in the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab (co-author Dr Konczak's lab).…”

“…The five gentle movements are preceded and followed by gentle tapping of different body parts. For more information see Van 14) 0 (0) 1 ( 7) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 1 ( 7) 0 (0) 0 (0) 10 ( 71) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 1 (6) 2 ( 13) 0 (0) 1 ( 6) 0 (0) 0 (0) 12 (75) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 1 (4) 0 (0) 3 ( 11) 0 (0) 3 ( 11) 1 ( 4) 0 (0) 20 (71) Education Level, n (%) No high school diploma High school graduate or GED Some college, no degree Occupational/technical/vocational program Associate degree, academic program Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree Professional school degree Doctoral Degree (PhD) Other 0 (0) 0 (0) 1 ( 7) 0 (0) 1 ( 7) 6 ( 43) 3 ( 21) 3 ( 21) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 2 ( 13) 1 ( 6) 2 ( 13) 6 ( 38) 4 ( 25) 1 ( 6) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 2 ( 7) 0 (0) 1 ( 4…”

The Feasibility of a Robotic Device to Objectively Measure Ankle Joint Proprioception

“…At best, such ankle proprioceptive evaluations in weight-bearing/standing positions provide a measure that evaluates several processes such as multisensory processing, sensorimotor integration, and motor command generation and execution along with proprioceptive processing. Other studies using active ankle joint position reproduction tests in non-weight bearing ankle have evaluated proprioceptive function as a function of precision in motor function [13,14]. To understand proprioception in its 'purest' form, it has to be isolated from processes of multisensory processing, sensorimotor integration and motor control.…”

“…In each trial the robot moved the participant's foot at a constant speed of 2°/s from an initial position to 2 separate positions of plantarflexion, a reference position of 15° (See Figure 4) and a comparison position always < 15° [range: 14.5-13.9°] [14]. The rationale for choosing 2°/s was to move the foot at a slow and deliberate pace so that the participant had ample time to begin to concentrate on the final displacement [12].…”