Effect of quadriceps strength and proprioception on risk for knee osteoarthritis

Segal NA, et al. · Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

Greater quadriceps strength protected against development of symptomatic knee OA over 30 months, but did not protect against radiographic (structural) OA. Strength appears to protect symptoms more than joint-space imaging.

Population

MOST cohort, adults 50-79 at elevated risk of knee OA (1,390 knees radiographic / 1,829 symptomatic analyses)

Intervention

Exposure: baseline quadriceps strength; 30-month follow-up

Comparator

Strength tertiles

Limitations

Observational; radiographic outcome insensitive; residual confounding by activity.