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

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.

The association between hip/groin pain and hip strength in football players: An exploratory analysis of the FORCe cohort

OBJECTIVES

Explore associations between peak hip strength in football players with hip/groin pain and healthy controls.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Male and female sub-elite football players (soccer and Australian football) with hip/groin pain >6-month duration and players without hip/groin pain were recruited across Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia. Demographic information and two questionnaires; the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score and the International Hip Outcome Tool 33 were collected. Hand-held dynamometry was used to measure isometric hip strength for flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, and external rotation. Linear mixed effects models were used to compare strength measures between groups.

RESULTS

190 football players with hip/groin pain (mean ± standard deviation age, 27.8 ± 6.3 years) and 64 controls (age, 27.3 ± 5.6 years) were included in this study. Of these, 291 symptomatic limbs and 128 control limbs were used for analyses. Symptomatic players had lower peak hip adduction (adjusted mean difference = -0.18: 95 % confidence interval -0.27 to -0.08, P : 0.001), external rotation (-0.06: 95 % confidence interval -0.09 to -0.02, P : 0.003), and internal rotation strength (-0.06: 95 % confidence interval -0.10 to -0.03, P : 0.001) compared to controls. A sport-specific interaction was observed for hip abduction strength. When separated by football code, abduction strength was lower in symptomatic Australian football players compared to their same sport peers (-0.20: 95 % confidence interval -0.33 to -0.06, P : 0.004), but not in symptomatic soccer players (-0.05: 95 % confidence interval -0.15 to 0.06, P : 0.382).

CONCLUSIONS

Hip adduction, internal rotation, and external rotation strength appears lower in football players with hip/groin pain independent of sex and football code. Hip abduction strength was lower in symptomatic Australian football players but not in soccer players.

The association between statistical shape modeling-defined hip morphology and features of early hip osteoarthritis in young adult football players: Data from the femoroacetabular impingement and hip osteoarthritis cohort (FORCe) study

Objective

To explore the relationship between radiographic hip shape and features of early hip osteoarthritis (OA) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in young male and female football players without radiographic hip OA.

Design

We used baseline data from a cohort of symptomatic and asymptomatic football players aged 18-50 years. Hip shape was assessed on anteroposterior radiographs with statistical shape modeling (SSM) for men and women separately. Cartilage defects and labral tears were graded using the Scoring Hip Osteoarthritis with MRI (SHOMRI) system. We used logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to estimate associations between each hip shape variant, called shape modes, and cartilage defects or labral tears.

Results

We included 229 participants (446 hips, 77.4% male). For each sex, 15 shape modes were analyzed. In men, three shape modes were associated with cartilage defects: adjusted odds ratios (aOR) 0.75 (95%CI 0.58-0.97) per standard deviation (SD) for mode 1; 1.34 (95%CI 1.05-1.69) per SD for mode 12; and 0.61 (95%CI 0.48-0.78) per SD for mode 15; and one also with labral tears: aOR 1.30 (95%CI 1.01-1.69) per SD for mode 12. These modes generally represented variations in the femoral neck and subtypes of cam morphology, with and without pincer morphology. For women, there was no evidence for associations with the outcomes.

Conclusions

Several hip shape variants were associated with cartilage defects on MRI in young male football players. Specifically, one subtype of cam morphology was associated with both cartilage defects and labral tears. Hip shape was not associated with early OA features in women.

Prevalence of early hip OA features on MRI in high-impact athletes. The femoroacetabular impingement and hip osteoarthritis cohort (FORCe) study

OBJECTIVE

To compare early hip osteoarthritis (OA) features on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in high-impact athletes with and without hip and/or groin pain, and to evaluate associations between early hip OA features, the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT33) and Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS).

DESIGN

This case-control study evaluated data of the femoroacetabular impingement and hip osteoarthritis cohort (FORCe). One hundred and eighty-two symptomatic (hip and/or groin pain >6 months and positive flexion-adduction-internal-rotation (FADIR) test) and 55 pain-free high-impact athletes (soccer or Australian football (AF)) without definite radiographic hip OA underwent hip MRI. The Scoring Hip Osteoarthritis with MRI (SHOMRI) method quantified and graded the severity of OA features. Each participant completed the iHOT33 and HAGOS.

RESULTS

Hip and/or groin pain was associated with higher total SHOMRI (0-96) (mean difference 1.4, 95% CI: 0.7-2.2), labral score (adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 1.33, 95% CI: 1.1-1.6). Differences in prevalence of cartilage defects, labral tears and paralabral cysts between symptomatic and pain-free participants were inconclusive. There was a lower prevalence of effusion-synovitis in symptomatic participants when compared to pain-free participants (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.46 (95% CI: 0.3-0.8). Early hip OA features were not associated with iHOT33 or HAGOS.

CONCLUSIONS

A complex and poorly understood relationship exists between hip and/or groin pain and early hip OA features present on MRI in high-impact athletes without radiographic OA. Hip and/or groin pain was associated with higher SHOMRI and labral scores.