Association between hip muscle strength/function and hip cartilage defects in sub-elite football players with hip/groin pain

S L Coburn; K M Crossley; J L Kemp; F Gassert; J Luitjens; S J Warden; A G Culvenor; M J Scholes; M G King; P Lawrenson; T M Link; J J Heerey

doi:10.1016/j.joca.2024.03.121

Association between hip muscle strength/function and hip cartilage defects in sub-elite football players with hip/groin pain

Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2024 Apr 20:S1063-4584(24)01161-0. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2024.03.121. Online ahead of print.

Authors

S L Coburn¹, K M Crossley², J L Kemp², F Gassert³, J Luitjens³, S J Warden⁴, A G Culvenor², M J Scholes⁵, M G King⁵, P Lawrenson⁶, T M Link³, J J Heerey²

Affiliations

¹ La Trobe University Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia. Electronic address: s.coburn@latrobe.edu.au.
² La Trobe University Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
³ Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
⁴ La Trobe University Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia; Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health & Human Sciences, Indiana 15 University, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
⁵ La Trobe University Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia; Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
⁶ School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.

PMID: 38648877
DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2024.03.121

Abstract

Objective: To explore associations between hip muscle strength and cartilage defects (presence and severity) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in young adults with hip/groin pain participating in sub-elite football.

Design: Sub-elite football players with hip/groin pain (>6 months) completed assessments of isometric hip strength and functional task performance. Hip cartilage defects were assessed using the Scoring Hip Osteoarthritis with MRI tool. This exploratory, cross-sectional study used logistic and negative binomial models to assess the relationships between hip muscle strength or functional task performance and hip cartilage defects, controlling for body mass index, age, testing site and cam morphology, incorporating sex-specific interaction terms.

Results: One hundred and eighty-two (37 women) sub-elite (soccer or Australian football) players with hip/groin pain (age 26 ± 7 years) were included. Greater hip extension strength was associated with higher cartilage total score (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 1.01, 95%CI: 1.0 to 1.02, p = 0.013) and superolateral cartilage score (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01 to 1.06, p < 0.01). In female sub-elite football players, greater hip external rotation strength was associated with lateral cartilage defects (aOR 1.61, 95%CI: 1.05 to 2.48, p = 0.03) and higher cartilage total score (aIRR 1.25, 95%CI: 1.01 to 1.66, p = 0.042). A one-repetition increase in one-leg rise performance was related to lower odds of superomedial cartilage defects (aOR 0.96, 95%CI: 0.94 to 0.99, p < 0.01).

Conclusions: Overall, there were few associations between peak isometric hip muscle strength and overall hip cartilage defects. It is possible that other factors may have relevance in sub-elite football players. Additional studies are needed to support or refute our findings that higher one leg rise performance was associated with reduced superomedial cartilage defect severity and greater hip extension strength was related to higher cartilage defect severity scores.

Keywords: Cartilage; Function; Hip joint; Magnetic resonance imaging; Muscle strength.