Which statement best describes proprioception testing when assessing joint position sense?

• A. The patient moves the limb to a selected position and describes the position.
• B. The patient identifies the direction of movement while the limb is moving.
• C. The therapist moves the limb to a static position and asks the patient to describe the position.
• D. The therapist moves the limb and asks the patient to indicate the direction of movement while the limb is moving.

Answer: (C)

Proprioception testing for joint position sense focuses on static position awareness. In this approach, the clinician moves the limb passively to a specific joint angle, then holds it still while the patient, with vision occluded, describes or indicates the position. This isolates the ability to perceive joint position without visual input or the influence of actively moving or generating movement commands. If the limb is moving during the test or the patient focuses on direction or speed of movement, that assesses kinesthesia (movement sense) rather than static joint position sense. So describing the position after the limb is placed in a fixed angle aligns with testing static joint position sense.