Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
Knee joint proprioception in aging, osteoarthritis, and postoperative orthopedic rehabilitation: Current evidence and future directions—a narrative review
Musa Çankaya, Department of Therapy and Rehabilitation, Seydişehir Vocational School of Health Services, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya 42100, Türkiye
Fatma Taşkın, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Unit, Aydın City Hospital, Aydin 42100, Türkiye
Co-first authors: Musa Çankaya and Fatma Taşkın.
Author contributions: Taşkın F conceptualized the review topic, performed the literature screening, drafted the manuscript, organized the main sections, prepared the reference framework, and approved the final version of the manuscript; Çankaya M contributed to the conceptual refinement of the review, provided academic supervision, critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content, and approved the final version; and both authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI-assisted tools were used during revision only for language polishing, translation assistance, improvement of clarity and readability, and organization of expression. The figures in our manuscript were created personally with the assistance of artificial intelligence. They have not been sourced from elsewhere. No part of the manuscript was generated entirely by AI. The scientific content, main arguments, literature selection, interpretation of cited evidence, and final conclusions were conceived, reviewed, verified, and finalized by the authors.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Musa Çankaya, Associate Professor, Department of Therapy and Rehabilitation, Seydişehir Vocational School of Health Services, Necmettin Erbakan Uni
Received: July 7, 2026
Revised: September 10, 2026
Accepted: November 2, 2026
Published online: November 18, 2026
Processing time: 127 Days and 15 Hours
Revised: September 10, 2026
Accepted: November 2, 2026
Published online: November 18, 2026
Processing time: 127 Days and 15 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Knee proprioception contributes to sensorimotor control across aging, knee osteoarthritis, and postoperative recovery. This review highlights the clinical value of interpreting proprioceptive findings alongside assessments of balance, gait, strength, and functional performance, and of integrating targeted sensorimotor training into individualized rehabilitation. Emerging digital technologies may support monitoring and personalization, but their routine use requires adequate clinical validation and consideration of accessibility, adherence, and data privacy.