Document Type

Thesis - NSU Access Only

Title

A Comparison of Shoulder Joint Proprioception in Geriatric and Young Adults

Authors

Daniel W. Mayhan, Nova Southeastern University

Degree Name

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

Department

College of Health Care Sciences - Physical Therapy Department

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1998

Publisher

Nova Southeastern University

NSUWorks Citation

Daniel W. Mayhan. 1998. A Comparison of Shoulder Joint Proprioception in Geriatric and Young Adults. Master's thesis. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Health Care Sciences - Physical Therapy Department. (135)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_pt_stuetd/135.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare shoulder joint proprioception in geriatric and young adults.

Subjects: A sample of convenience was used. Twenty-nine Nova Southeastern University physical therapy students, 15 males age 24 to 29 and 14 females age 21 to 28, comprised the young adult group. Twenty independent community dwelling elderly, 9 males age 65 to 82 and 11 females 66 to 81, comprised the geriatric group.

Methods: Subjects were tested for the ability to actively reposition the dominant shoulder after passive shoulder flexion of 15°, 45°, and 60°. Subjects were tested on a Biodex Multi-Joint Isokinetic Dynamometer using Biodex software version 4.5.

Results: Geriatric subjects were found to be less accurate than the young adult group at actively repositioning passive shoulder flexion. Statistical significance with alpha set at 0.05 was found at 15° and 45° for the entire geriatric group. Statistical significance was found for geriatric males at 15° and 45°, and significance was found only at 15° for geriatric females.

Conclusions: A decline in shoulder proprioception occurs at 15° and 45° of shoulder flexion but not at 60° over the lifespan. Geriatric males were found to have a more pronounced decline in proprioception than geriatric females.

Disciplines

Physical Therapy