Effect of fatigue on knee proprioception: Implications for dynamic stabilization

The high incidence of injuries that occur later during a session of sports or recreational activities suggests that fatigue may contribute to altered neuromuscular control of the lower limb and an individual's subsequent alte red ability to dynamically stabilize the knee joint. One possible mechanism is a fatigue-mediated alteration in proprioception. This paper reviews exp erimental evidence of fatigue-induced changes in knee joint position sense and movement sense, or kinesthesia. We will discuss the possible physiologi cal mechanisms behind these changes, including the role of joint and muscle receptors in proprioception and neuromuscular control of the knee, and the role of fatigue in changes in afferent output from muscle and joint recept ors. We will then explore the implications that alteration in proprioceptio n may have for dynamic stabilization of the knee joint.