Effects of joint effusion on proprioception in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial

40 female subjects with knee osteoarthritis (OA), were randomly assigned into two groups in this single blind, randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of joint effusion on proprioceptive status. The experimental group's knee joint cavity was injected with 20ml of normal saline. Knee joint position sense (JPS) and absolute angular error (AAE) were tested in all subjects on non-weight bearing and weight bearing conditions. The results suggest that joint effusion decreases proprioceptive function in patients with OA.