Enhancing Knee Joint Proprioception in Healthy Adults Through Exergame Training With Augmented Feedback: Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

backgroundProprioception training is essential for restoring knee function in several medical conditions. Open kinetic chain (OKC) and closed kinetic chain (CKC) exercises are used in active movement interventions to enhance proprioception. Exergames, supported by wearable sensors, offer a solution by providing real-time feedback. Auditory feedback (AF) embedded in the serious game training has shown benefits in upper limb rehabilitation compared to visual feedback (VF) alone. However, the potential of AF in exergames that provide knee training is not known.

objectiveThis study presents an exergame platform aimed at enhancing knee joint proprioception through stretching and squatting exercises. The platform allows to provide feedback in 2 modes, namely, VF only and a combination of AF and VF. The AF indicates the joint position by adjusting the loudness of the sound. The VF maps the motion of the lower limb into the game space, where this information is used to control a game object. A randomized controlled trial with 14 participants compared AF to VF only. The hypothesis was that AF would improve knee joint position accuracy, enhancing neuromuscular coordination and lower limb stability.

methodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted within 14 healthy volunteers to test the exergames for knee joint motor learning using augmented feedback. All participants were required to do a pretest consisting of half and full squats and two tasks, in which participants were asked to reproduce a 45-degree knee bend and to stretch their knee fully. After that, participants played 4 rounds of each of the 2 exergames. Then the tasks of the pretest were repeated. A 1-sided Mann-Whitney U test was conducted for answering whether AF has a positive effect on the ability of participants to accurately control the knee joint angle. In addition, we calculated the muscle synergies participants used to complete the exercises. Subjective gaming experience was assessed using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and the User Experience Questionnaire.

resultsA total of 14 participants were recruited, including 7 in the experimental group with AF, and 7 in the control group only with VF. The result of the Mann-Whitney U test demonstrated that augmented feedback improved knee joint accuracy compared to VF in both the CKC (statistics=41.0; P=.04) and OKC (statistics=42.0; P=.03) tasks. Additionally, muscle synergy analysis revealed high consistency in different muscle synergy patterns between groups across both game types.

conclusionsAugmented feedback significantly enhanced knee joint motor learning performance (reflected in the knee joint angle positioning ability) in both CKC and OKC exergame training. Consistent muscle synergy patterns across participants show that the developed exergames are suitable for knee training. Studies in patient populations are needed to establish whether the games could be used in lower limb rehabilitation.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT07141290; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07141290.