Joint position sense, motor imagery and tactile acuity in lateral elbow tendinopathy: A cross-sectional study

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 degrees; p = 0.01) and to the matched-affected side of controls (MD = 4.89 degrees; 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.