Background

Impairments of sensorimotor function are evident in individuals with lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET), although understanding of the mechanisms for this is lacking.

Objectives

To determine if motor imagery, tactile acuity and wrist joint position sense (JPS) are impaired in participants with unilateral LET compared to controls, whether deficits are localised to the affected side, and whether deficits relate to severity of pain.

Design

Cross-sectional study with control group.

Methods

14 participants with unilateral LET of 6 weeks or longer and 14 matched control participants were assessed bilaterally for motor imagery (left/right hand judgement task), tactile acuity (two-point discrimination test) and wrist JPS (reposition test for flexion and extension). Pain levels were measured using a numeric rating scale.

Results

Significant differences in JPS were observed for wrist extension only, such that participants with LET adopted less extended postures with their affected side when compared to their unaffected side (MD = 2.97°; p = 0.01) and to the matched-affected side of controls (MD = 4.89°; p < 0.01). No differences in tactile acuity or motor imagery were observed.

Conclusion

Altered wrist extension JPS, but not motor imagery or tactile acuity, was found in the affected side of patients with unilateral LET when compared to non-injured side and asymptomatic controls.

中文翻译：

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肘外侧肌腱病的关节位置感、运动意象和触觉：一项横断面研究

背景

感觉运动功能受损在肘外侧肌腱病 (LET) 患者中很明显，尽管对此机制缺乏了解。

目标

为了确定与对照组相比，单侧 LET 参与者的运动想象、触觉敏锐度和腕关节位置感 (JPS) 是否受损，缺陷是否局限于受影响的一侧，以及缺陷是否与疼痛的严重程度有关。

设计

与对照组进行横断面研究。

方法

14 名单侧 LET 6 周或更长时间的参与者和 14 名匹配的对照参与者进行双侧运动想象（左/右手判断任务）、触觉敏锐度（两点辨别测试）和手腕 JPS（屈伸复位测试） . 使用数字评定量表测量疼痛水平。

结果

仅在手腕伸展时观察到 JPS 的显着差异，因此与未受影响的一侧（MD = 2.97°；p = 0.01）和对照组的匹配受影响侧相比，LET 参与者的受影响侧采用较少的伸展姿势（ MD = 4.89°；p < 0.01)。没有观察到触觉敏锐度或运动意象的差异。

结论

与非受伤侧和无症状对照相比，在单侧 LET 患者的患侧发现了腕部伸展 JPS 改变，但没有运动意象或触觉敏锐度。