Avaliação proprioceptiva na instabilidade do ombro: uma revisão narrativa da literatura

Abstract

Proprioception plays a fundamental role in shoulder joint stability and motor control, and it is often compromised in individuals with glenohumeral instability. These deficits may impair neuromuscular control and functional performance. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the main proprioceptive assessment methods applied to shoulder instability. A narrative literature review was conducted in the PubMed database, including studies published between 1996 and 2024. Articles that directly evaluated shoulder proprioception through joint position sense, kinesthesia, and force sense were included. Of the 167 studies initially identified, nine met the inclusion criteria.The analyzed studies reported significant proprioceptive deficits in individuals with shoulder instability, particularly in joint position sense and passive motion detection, particularly in high-demand positions such as greater amplitudes of external rotation. Some studies also reported improvements in proprioceptive parameters after interventions such as surgical stabilization, orthotic use, and specific rehabilitation programs. The findings indicate that, despite the consistency in identifying these deficits, the considerable variation among instruments and assessment protocols limits direct comparisons across studies. It is concluded that proprioceptive evaluation should be integrated into the clinical analysis of glenohumeral instability, and future research should prioritize more standardized and sensitive methods to improve the understanding of these deficits.