Cervical Joint Osteoarthritis and Position Sense: Overview of Selected Findings and their Implications

In man, the cervical spine composed of seven interlocking bony units and articulated via a series of associated freely moving synovial joints is highly vulnerable to injury and the development of the painful disabling joint disease termed osteoarthritis. Here we discuss the some findings that show there are clinically measureable alterations in the sensibility of cervical position detection that may prove detrimental in the control of neck movements and their possible clinical implications for the prevention and treatment of cervical osteoarthritis in the older adult population.