Hip strength in females with and without patellofemoral pain.
METHODS
Cross-sectional.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if females with anterior knee pain are more likely to demonstrate hip abduction or external rotation weakness than a similar, asymptomatic, age-matched control group.


BACKGROUND
Diminished hip strength has been implicated as being contributory to lower-extremity malalignment and patellofemoral pain. The identification of reliable and consistent patterns of weakness in this population may assist health care professionals establish a more effective treatment plan.


METHODS
Hip abduction and external rotation isometric strength measurements were recorded for the injured side of 15 female subjects with patellofemoral joint pain (mean +/- SD age, 15.7 +/- 2.7 years; age range, 12-21 years). These were compared with strength measurements from the corresponding hip of 15 age-matched female control subjects (mean +/- SD age, 15.7 +/- 2.7 years; age range, 12-21 years). All strength measurements were made using hand-held dynamometers.


RESULTS
Subjects with patellofemoral pain demonstrated 26% less hip abduction strength (P<.001) and 36% less hip external rotation strength (P<.001) than similar age-matched controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that young women with patellofemoral pain are more likely to demonstrate weakness in hip abduction as well as external rotation than age-matched women who are not symptomatic.
Ireland
Mary Lloyd
ML
Kentucky Sports Medicine Clinic, Lexington, KY, USA.
Willson
John D
JD
Ballantyne
Bryon T
BT
Davis
Irene McClay
IM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017760:Bone Malalignment; D035061:Control Groups; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006615:Hip / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement