The Effect of a Neoprene Shoulder Stabilizer on Active Joint-Reposition Sense in Subjects With Stable and Unstable Shoulders

The Effect of a Neoprene Shoulder Stabilizer on Active Joint-Reposition Sense in Subjects With Stable and Unstable Shoulders
2002 AprÒJun
Jennifer C. Chu,* Edward J. Kane,‹ Brent L. Arnold,· and Bruce M. Gansneder?
Journal Of Athletic Training

*Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ

‹US Army-Baylor University, Fort Sam Houston, TX

·Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA;

?University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Jennifer C. Chu, ATC, contributed to conception and design; acquisition and analysis and interpretation of the data; and drafting, critical revision, and final approval of the article. Edward J. Kane, PT, ATC, contributed to conception and design; analysis and interpretation of the data; and drafting and critical revision and final approval of the article. Brent L. Arnold, PhD, ATC, and Bruce M. Gansneder, PhD, contributed to conception and design; analysis and interpretation of the data; and critical revision and final approval of the article.

Address correspondence to Brent L. Arnold, PhD, ATC, Virginia Commonwealth University, 817 West Franklin Street, Room 221, PO Box 842037, Richmond, VA 23284. Address e-mail to Email: barnold@vcu.edu

AbstractObjective: To compare the effects of shoulder bracing on active joint-reposition sense in subjects with stable and unstable shoulders.
Design and Setting: Two subject groups, with stable and unstable shoulders, participated in an active joint-reposition test of the shoulder under braced and unbraced conditions.

Subjects: Forty subjects (22 men, 18 women; age = 21.85 ± 3.12 years; height = 173.97 ± 10.08 cm; weight = 71.27 ± 11.68 kg) were recruited to participate in this study. Twenty Division I athletes were referred to us for shoulder instability, which was subsequently confirmed with clinical assessment. The remaining 20 subjects were recruited from a similar student population and assessed as having stable shoulders.

Measurements: Each subject's ability to perceive joint position sense in space was tested by actively reproducing 3 preset angles (10? from full external rotation, 30? of external rotation, and 30? of internal rotation) with and without a shoulder brace. Full, active external-rotation range of motion was assessed before active joint-reposition sense testing.

Results: While wearing the shoulder brace, the group with unstable shoulders demonstrated significant improvement in the accuracy of active joint repositioning at 10? from full external rotation in comparison with the stable group. Furthermore, those with unstable shoulders demonstrated significantly less full external rotation than did those with stable shoulders, and the brace reduced full external rotation only for those with stable shoulders.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that shoulder active joint-reposition sense in subjects with unstable shoulders can be improved at close to maximal external rotation by wearing a shoulder brace. This effect does not appear to be related to restriction of shoulder external rotation.

Keywords: proprioception, glenohumeral joint, bracing

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