title: Proprioceptive deficit in patients with complete tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the existence of proprioceptive deficits between the injured limb and the uninjured (i.e. contralateral normal) limb, in individuals who suffered complete tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), using a strength reproduction test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen patients with complete tearing of the ACL participated in the study. A voluntary maximum isometric strength test was performed, with reproduction of the muscle strength in the limb with complete tearing of the ACL and the healthy contralateral limb, with the knee flexed at 60°. The meta-intensity was used for the procedure of 20% of the voluntary maximum isometric strength. The proprioceptive performance was determined by means of absolute error, variable error and constant error values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were found between the control group and ACL group for the variables of absolute error (p = 0.05) and constant error (p = 0.01). No difference was found in relation to variable error (p = 0.83).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data corroborate the hypothesis that there is a proprioceptive deficit in subjects with complete tearing of the ACL in an injured limb, in comparison with the uninjured limb, during evaluation of the sense of strength. This deficit can be explained in terms of partial or total loss of the mechanoreceptors of the ACL.
authors.affiliation: Motor Control and Exercise Physiology Laboratory, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Godinho
authors.affiliation: Motor Control and Exercise Physiology Laboratory, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nicoliche
authors.affiliation: Motor Control and Exercise Physiology Laboratory, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cossich
authors.affiliation: Motor Control and Exercise Physiology Laboratory, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Branco
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.affiliation: Motor Control and Exercise Physiology Laboratory, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil ; Attention Neuropsychology and Neurophysiology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IPUB/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil ; Institute of Applied Neurosciences (INA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil ; Department of Biosciences, School of Physical Education and Sports (EEFD), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Velasques
authors.affiliation: Motor Control and Exercise Physiology Laboratory, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics (INTO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Inácio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Salles
keywords: Anterior cruciate ligament; Knee; Proprioception