Investigation of hip abductor activation in subjects with clinical unilateral hip osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE
(a) To compare the magnitude of gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata activation between a group of subjects with clinical unilateral hip osteoarthritis and a group of healthy older adults. (b) To compare the magnitude of activation of the gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata between sides in a group of subjects with clinical unilateral hip osteoarthritis and a group of healthy older adults.


METHODS
19 subjects with clinical unilateral hip osteoarthritis and 19 healthy controls were investigated. The subjects performed a stepping task during which recordings were obtained using surface electromyograms from the hip abductors, and kinetic data were obtained from a dual force platform.


RESULTS
Subjects with clinical hip osteoarthritis had higher gluteus medius activation than the healthy older adults (p=0.037). In addition, there were no differences in the magnitude of gluteus medius activation between the sides (p=0.733). There was no difference in the force platform data between the groups (p=0.078).


CONCLUSIONS
The increased magnitude of gluteus medius activation in the group with hip osteoarthritis is evidence of a muscular dysfunction associated with hip disease. This has implications for the progressive nature of the disease and for its conservative management.
Department of Physiotherapy, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia. kevsims@hotmail.com
K J
KJ
Sims
C A
CA
Richardson
S G
SG
Brauer
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002081:Buttocks / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011312:Pressure