Knee Extension Angle, Proprioception, and Balance: The Impact of Hamstring Shortness in Sedentary Young Adults

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether hamstring shortness, which is commonly observed in sedentary young adults, is associated with knee joint proprioception and dynamic balance.Method: Fifty-seven sedentary young adults (aged 18-27 years) voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional study. Hamstring shortness was assessed using the Knee Extension Angle (KEA) test, with values above 20° indicating hamstring shortness. Proprioception was measured using the Biodex System 3 at target angles of 30°, 60°, and 90° through the active joint position reproduction method, and the mean joint position sense error was calculated. Dynamic balance was evaluated using the Pedalo® Sensamove balance platform with participants’ eyes open. Spearman correlation analysis was applied to determine relationships among KEA, proprioceptive errors, and balance performance.Results: All participants exhibited KEA values exceeding 20°, confirming hamstring shortness within the sample. Significant positive correlations were found between KEA and knee joint position sense errors at 30° (r=0.32, p