TFL Fat Fraction Predicts Worse Patient-Reported Hip Pain After 4 Years

Motivation: Hip abductor muscles have a fundamental role in walking and other daily physical tasks. Relating hip abductor muscle fat fractions to patient-reported hip outcomes at a later timepoint could provide insights on exercise targets for patients with hip osteoarthritis who may become candidates for total hip arthroplasty. Goal(s): The study seeks to determine if hip abductor muscle fat fractions predict patient-reported hip outcomes after 4 years. Approach: Linear mixed-effects regressions were performed to investigate relationships between baseline hip abductor fat fractions and PROMS at follow-up. Results: Higher baseline TFL fat fraction was associated with worse patient-reported hip pain scores at 4-year follow-up. Impact: Our findings suggest performing further research into tensor fascia lata fat fraction in relation to future clinical outcomes for patients with hip osteoarthritis.