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Observational Study
. 2022 Aug 17;23(1):784.
doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05635-9.

Quadriceps strength is negatively associated with knee joint structural abnormalities-data from osteoarthritis initiative

Ze Gong #  1   2 , Jia Li #  3 , Zijun He  1   2 , Shilin Li  1   2 , Peihua Cao  4 , Guangfeng Ruan  5 , Yan Zhang  4 , Qing Zeng  1   2 , Rong Chen  1   2 , Peng Zheng  1   2 , Tao Fan  1   2 , Yijin Zhao  1   2 , Pengcheng Lu  1   2 , Zhaohua Zhu  6 , Guozhi Huang  7   8
Affiliations
Observational Study

Quadriceps strength is negatively associated with knee joint structural abnormalities-data from osteoarthritis initiative

Ze Gong et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the longitudinal associations between baseline quadriceps strength and knee joint structural abnormalities in knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods: This study is a longitudinally observational study based on Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) cohort, including men and women aged 45-79. Quadriceps strength was measured by isometric knee extension testing at baseline. Knee joint structural abnormalities, including cartilage damage, bone marrow lesions (BMLs), effusion-synovitis and Hoffa-synovitis, were evaluated by Magnetic Resonance Imaging Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Generalized estimating equations were employed to examine the associations between quadriceps strength and knee structural abnormalities. All analyses were stratified by sex.

Results: One thousand three hundred thirty-eight participants (523 men and 815 women) with a mean age of 61.8 years and a mean BMI of 29.4 kg/m2 were included in this study. For men, no significantly longitudinal association of quadriceps strength with structural abnormalities was detected. In contrast, quadriceps strength was significantly and negatively associated with changes in cartilage damage and BMLs in lateral patellofemoral joint (PFJ) (cartilage damage: OR: 0.91, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.99, P = 0.023; BMLs: OR: 0.85, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.96, P = 0.011) and effusion-synovitis (OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.99, P = 0.045) among females longitudinally. Higher quadriceps strength was significantly associated with less progression of lateral PFJ cartilage damage, BMLs and effusion-synovitis in females.

Conclusions: Higher quadriceps strength was associated with changes in cartilage damage and BMLs within the lateral PFJ and effusion-synovitis among females, suggesting the potential protective role of quadriceps strength on joint structures in women.

Keywords: Bone marrow lesions; Cartilage damage; Effusion-synovitis; Hoffa-synovitis; Osteoarthritis; Quadriceps strength.

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Conflict of interest statement

ZZ is a member of the Editorial Board of BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests. The OAI is a public–private partnership comprised of five contracts funded by the National Institutes of Health. Private funding partners include Merck Research Laboratories; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline; and Pfizer, Inc.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart showing participant selection from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; MOAKS: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Osteoarthritis Knee Score. There exists the possibility that two knees of the same participant could be involved in this study
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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