title: Effects of anterior tibial displacement on the proprioceptive functions of soccer players` knee joints.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of joint laxity on proprioceptive functions of the knee joints of soccer players.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we measured anterior tibial displacements and thresholds to detect the knee joint passive motion of 20 healthy soccer players (18.1+/-1.6 years of age). We performed all the measurements in Autumn 2000 in Ankara, Turkey. We applied the Mann-Whitney U test to analyze the relationship between the anterior tibial displacement and threshold to detect the passive motion (TDPM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences between the TDPM values of the knee joints with insignificant laxity differences at different angles, and direction of motion (p>0.05). At 45 degrees of knee flexion and externally directed motion, we found the TDPM of looser knees to be significantly greater (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased knee laxities without any clinical pathologic findings, have negative effects on knee joint proprioception. This is possibly due to the overuse degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligaments, which are the main stabilizers of knee joints.
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Department, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey. Tel. +90 (246) 2112374.  Fax. +90 (246) 2370240. E-mail: cem@med.sdu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.forename: Rustu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guner
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kunduracioglu
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ulkar