Effect of positioning and bracing on passive position sense of shoulder joint.

Abstract

To examine the effects of positioning and sleeve type bracing on passive position sense of shoulder joints of healthy untrained subjects. A cross over study was carried out on 26 subjects (13 male, 13 female) with a proprioception measurement device. The selected method of testing was passive reproduction of a target angle. Both shoulder joints of all the subjects were evaluated with and without a compressive neoprene sleeve type of brace at two different start positions (45 degrees internal rotation, 75 degrees external rotation) with an angular rotational movement at a constant speed of 0.5 degrees /s. The angular displacements from the target angles at the end of the reproduction tests were recorded as position sense deficit scores. The overall mean (SD) deficit score (0.99 (0.06)) was significantly (p<0.001) lower with the brace than without, and the overall mean deficit score was significantly (p<0.001) higher at the 45 degrees internal rotation start position than at the 75 degrees external rotation start position. However, there was no significant (p>0.05) interaction between brace application and start position. Terminal limits of range of motion facilitate the position sense of shoulder joints. Compressive brace application improves the passive positioning sense possibly by stimulating cutaneous mechanoreceptors.