CHICAGO — Greater hip abductor strength reduced the 5-year risk for poor functional outcomes and the 2-year risk for tibiofemoral cartilage damage worsening among certain patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to findings presented at the ACR/ARHP 2018 Annual Meeting.

The study results showed that the significant benefits of hip abductor strength were limited to patients with stronger quadricep muscles, Alison H. Chang, PT, DPT, associate professor of physical therapy and human movement sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, reported. She said the findings highlight the important role of hip abductor strengthening in knee OA.