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

Yıl 2026, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 1 , 29 - 33 , 28.04.2026

Veysel Akduman , Gönül Acar

https://doi.org/10.52831/kjhs.1802076

https://izlik.org/JA43AK52DF

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

Etik Beyan

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

Destekleyen Kurum

None

Teşekkür

-

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

https://izlik.org/JA43AK52DF

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).

Destekleyen Kurum

-

Teşekkür

-

Kaynakça

• Akman M, İnal HS, Bayraktar B, Dereli E, İpseftel İ, Şahinkaya T. Is hamstring muscle flexibility effective on the active position sense of the knee joints of the elite dancers? Int J Sports Sci. 2016;6(2):46-51.
• Riemann BL, Lephart SM. The sensorimotor system, Part II: The role of proprioception in motor control and functional joint stability. J Athl Train. 2002;37(1):80-84.
• Proske U, Gandevia SC. The proprioceptive senses: Their roles in motor control and motor learning. Physiol Rev. 2012;92(4):1651-1697.
• Akhtar H, Muskan P, Amjad R, Satti AK, Javed M, Shahid M. Correlation of hamstring tightness with balance and mobility in young adults. Pak J Med Health Sci. 2023;17(3):295-299.
• Koli BK, Anap DB. Prevalence and severity of hamstring tightness among college students: A cross-sectional study. Int J Clin Biomed Res. 2018;4(2):65-68.
• Encarnación-Martínez A, García-Gallart A, Pérez-Soriano P, Catalá-Vilaplana I, Rizo-Albero J, Sanchis-Sanchis R. Effect of hamstring tightness and fatigue on dynamic stability and agility in physically active young men. Sensors (Basel). 2023;23(3):1633.
• Henry M, Baudry S. Age-related changes in leg proprioception: Implications for postural control. J Neurophysiol. 2019;122(2):525-538.
• Emam MA, Hortobágyi T, Horváth AA, Ragab S, Ramadan M. Proprioceptive training improves postural stability and reduces pain in cervicogenic headache patients: A randomized clinical trial. J Clin Med. 2024;13(22):6777.
• Salemi P, Shadmehr A, Fereydounnia S. The immediate effect of static hamstring stretching on dynamic balance and gait biomechanical variables in athletes with hamstring tightness: A preliminary study. J Mod Rehabil. 2021;15(3):141-150.
• Cejudo A, Centenera-Centenera JM, Santonja-Medina F. The potential role of hamstring extensibility on sagittal pelvic tilt, sagittal spinal curves and recurrent low back pain in team sports players: A gender perspective analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(16):8654.
• Moorhouse KM, Granata KP. Role of reflex dynamics in spinal stability: intrinsic muscle stiffness alone is insufficient for stability. J Biomech. 2007;40(5):1058-1065.
• Azevedo J, Moreira-Silva I, Cardoso R, Ventura N, Seixas A. Influence of hamstrings flexibility on the knee joint position sense. Braz J Health Biomed Sci. 2023;22(2):91-98.
• Çalışkan Ö, Sönmez Ünüvar B, Arguz A, Korkusuz F, Göğebakan R, Erkmen N. The relationship between hamstring shortness and postural control in football players: A pilot study. J Sport Perform Res. 2023;14(4):419-428.
• World Health Organization (WHO). Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. WHO Technical Report Series No. 894. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2000.
• Lim W. Optimal cut-off values of the active knee extension test for diagnosing hamstring tightness. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024;40:1769-1773.
• Hamid MS, Ali MR, Yusof A. Interrater and intrarater reliability of the active knee extension (AKE) test among healthy adults. J Phys Ther Sci. 2013;25(8):957-961.
• Shamsi M, Mirzaei M, Khabiri SS. Universal goniometer and electro-goniometer intra-examiner reliability in measuring the knee range of motion during active knee extension test in patients with chronic low back pain with short hamstring muscle. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2019;11(1):4.
• Bendale M, Mehta A, Nagulkar J, Pavankumar G. A study to find out correlation between bilateral hamstring tightness with age, working hours, and working years among sewing machine operators. Int J Novel Res Dev. 2022;7(6):1-6.
• Coelho VK, Gomes BSQ, Lopes TJA, Corrêa LA, Telles GF, Nogueira LAC. Knee proprioceptive function and physical performance of patients with patellofemoral pain: A matched case-control study. Knee. 2021;33:49-57.
• Mete E and Sari Z. The efficacy of exergaming in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Physiother Res Int. 2022;27(3):e1952.
• Atalay G and Acar G. Relationship between sitting posture, sitting balance and upper extremity functions in children with spina bifida. Turk J Physiother Rehabil. 2021;32(3):62-69.
• Lee YB, Kim JB and Lee GC. The effects of training using Pedalo equipment on balance of post-stroke patients: pilot study. JKPS. 2023;8(3):387-395.
• Alfaya FF, Reddy RS, Alkhamis BA, Kandakurti PK and Mukherjee D. Shoulder proprioception and its correlation with pain intensity and functional disability in individuals with subacromial impingement syndrome-a cross-sectional study. Diagnostics. 2023;13(12):2099.
• Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A. G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods. 2007;39(2):175-191.
• Olsson L, Lund H, Henriksen M, Rogind H, Bliddal H, Danneskiold-Samsøe B. Test-retest reliability of a knee joint position sense measurement method in sitting and prone position. Adv Physiother. 2004;6(1):37-47.
• Sung P and Lee D. Sensory integration strategies on repeated postural stability and neuromuscular adaptation in individuals with low back pain. Eur Spine J. 2025;1-10.