ASSOCIATION OF HIP ABDUCTOR STRENGTH AND KNEE ADDUCTION MOMENT DURING GAIT IN OLDER ADULTS

Medial knee loading during walking, represented by the external knee adduction moment (KAM), is closely linked to pain and progression of knee osteoarthritis. Because the hip abductors help control frontal plane pelvic motion, greater hip abductor strength may reduce KAM, but this relationship has not been clearly established in healthy older adults. This cross-sectional study examined whether maximal voluntary isometric hip abductor strength is associated with peak KAM in community dwelling adults aged 50 years and older. Twenty-three participants completed a laboratory session that included three-dimensional gait analysis at a self-selected speed, dynamometer testing of hip abductor strength, a 30 second sit to stand test, and questionnaires assessing knee symptoms and habitual physical activity. Peak KAM and hip abductor torque were normalized to body mass. Across the full sample, hip abductor strength was not significantly associated with peak KAM. However, sex stratified analyses revealed different patterns: men with stronger hip abductors tended to show lower KAM, whereas women showed no relationship. Hip abductor strength was positively associated with sit to stand performance in both sexes. These findings suggest that in active, minimally symptomatic older adults, static hip abductor strength alone does not determine medial knee loading. Larger, more diverse samples and functional measures of pelvic control are needed to clarify potential sex specific mechanisms relevant to knee osteoarthritis prevention.