KNEE EXTENSION ANGLE, PROPRIOCEPTION, AND BALANCE: THE IMPACT OF HAMSTRING SHORTNESS IN SEDENTARY YOUNG ADULTS

Öz

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether hamstring shortness, which is commonly observed in sedentary young adults, is associated with knee joint proprioception and dynamic balance. Method: Fifty-seven sedentary young adults (aged 18-27 years) voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional study. Hamstring shortness was assessed using the Knee Extension Angle (KEA) test, with values above 20° indicating hamstring shortness. Proprioception was measured using the Biodex System 3 at target angles of 30°, 60°, and 90° through the active joint position reproduction method, and the mean joint position sense error was calculated. Dynamic balance was evaluated using the Pedalo® Sensamove balance platform with participants’ eyes open. Spearman correlation analysis was applied to determine relationships among KEA, proprioceptive errors, and balance performance. Results: All participants exhibited KEA values exceeding 20°, confirming hamstring shortness within the sample. Significant positive correlations were found between KEA and knee joint position sense errors at 30° (r=0.32, p<0.05), 60° (r=0.35, p<0.05), and MJPSE (r=0.34, p<0.05), indicating that greater hamstring shortness was associated with increased proprioceptive error. No significant relationship was found between KEA and either the 90° error (r=0.21, p>0.05) or dynamic balance performance (r=0.03, p>0.05). Conclusion: Hamstring shortness was associated with poorer knee joint proprioception but was not significantly associated with dynamic balance in healthy sedentary young adults. These findings suggest that hamstring shortness may be related to altered afferent feedback from muscle spindles, potentially reducing proprioceptive precision without substantially influencing short-term balance control. Hamstring shortness assessment may be considered a relevant factor in the interpretation of proprioceptive analyses and in the evaluation of lower-limb sensorimotor performance.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Postural Balance
• Hamstring Muscles
• Proprioception
• Range of Motion
• Young Adult

Destekleyen Kurum

None

Etik Beyan

The research protocol was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Harran University (Ethics Committee No: 25.14.83).

DİZ EKSTANSİYON AÇISI, PROPRİOSEPSİYON VE DENGE: SEDANTER GENÇ YETİŞKİNLERDE HAMSTRİNG KISALIĞININ ETKİSİ

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, sedanter genç yetişkinlerde sık görülen hamstring kısalığının diz eklem propriosepsiyonu ve dinamik denge ile ilişkili olup olmadığının belirlenmesidir. Yöntem: Bu kesitsel çalışmaya, yaşları 18-27 arasında değişen 57 sedanter genç yetişkin gönüllü olarak katıldı. Hamstring kısalığı Diz Ekstansiyon Açısı (DEA) testi ile değerlendirildi ve 20° üzerindeki değerler hamstring kısalığı olarak kabul edildi. Diz eklem propriosepsiyonu, Biodex System 3 cihazı kullanılarak 30°, 60° ve 90° hedef açılarıyla aktif eklem pozisyonu yeniden üretim yöntemiyle ölçüldü ve ortalama eklem pozisyon hissi hatası hesaplandı. Dinamik denge, katılımcıların gözleri açık olacak şekilde Pedalo® Sensamove platformu ile değerlendirildi. DEA, proprioseptif hatalar ve denge performansı arasındaki ilişkiler Spearman korelasyon analizi ile incelendi. Bulgular: Tüm katılımcılarda DEA değeri 20°’nin üzerinde bulundu, bu da örneklemde hamstring kısalığının yaygın olduğunu gösterdi. DEA ile diz eklem pozisyon hissi hataları arasında 30°’de (r=0.32, p<0.05), 60°’de (r=0.35, p<0.05) ve ortalama değerlerde (r=0.34, p<0.05) anlamlı pozitif korelasyonlar bulundu. Buna karşın DEA ile 90° açısındaki hata (r=0.21, p>0.05) ve dinamik denge performansı (r=0.03, p>0.05) arasında anlamlı bir ilişki saptanmadı. Sonuç: Hamstring kısalığı, sağlıklı sedanter genç yetişkinlerde daha kötü diz eklem propriosepsiyonu ile ilişkili bulundu; ancak dinamik denge ile anlamlı bir ilişki göstermedi. Bu bulgular hamstring kısalığının kas iğciklerinden gelen afferent geri bildiriminde değişikliklerle ilişkili olabileceğini ve kısa süreli denge kontrolünü belirgin biçimde etkilemeden proprioseptif duyarlılığı azaltabileceğini düşündürmektedir. Hamstring kısalığının değerlendirilmesi, proprioseptif analizlerin yorumlanmasında ve alt ekstremite sensörimotor performansının değerlendirilmesinde dikkate alınabilecek bir faktör olarak kabul edilebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Postüral Denge
• Hamstring Kasları
• Propriosepsiyon
• Eklem Hareket Açıklığı
• Genç Yetişkinler

Etik Beyan

Araştırma protokolü Harran Üniversitesi Klinik Araştırmalar Etik Kurulu tarafından onaylandı (Etik Kurul No: 25.14.83).

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