Does hip muscle strength and functional performance differ between football players with and without hip dysplasia?

Michael J M O'Brien; Joshua Heerey; Adam Ivan Semciw; Inger Mechlenburg; Julie S Jacobsen; Matthew G King; Mark J Scholes; Peter R Lawrenson; Kay Crossley; Rintje Agricola; Richard B Souza; Joanne L Kemp

doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2023.08.002

Does hip muscle strength and functional performance differ between football players with and without hip dysplasia?

Phys Ther Sport. 2023 Nov:64:1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2023.08.002. Epub 2023 Aug 14.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ La Trobe Sports Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: m.o'[email protected].
² La Trobe Sports Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
³ Department of Physiotherapy, Podiatry and Prosthetics and Orthotics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
⁵ Research Centre for Health and Welfare Technology, Programme for Rehabilitation, VIA University College, Aarhus, Denmark; Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus, Denmark.
⁶ La Trobe Sports Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; Department of Physiotherapy, Podiatry and Prosthetics and Orthotics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
⁷ School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
⁸ Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
⁹ Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of California-San Francisco, CA, USA.
¹⁰ La Trobe Sports Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 37598519
DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2023.08.002

Abstract

Objective: To compare hip muscle strength and functional performance in football players with and without hip dysplasia and investigate if the relationships were modified by sex.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: This study compared football players with hip dysplasia (HD group) and without hip dysplasia (control group). Hip muscle strength (Nm/kg) and functional task performance were assessed in both groups. Linear regression with generalized estimating equations were used to assess differences between groups. Sex was assessed as a potential effect modifier.

Results: 101 football players were included (HD group, n = 50, control group, n = 51). There was no difference in hip muscle strength or functional performance between the HD group and the control group. Results ranged from hip extension strength (Estimate -0.13.95%CI: 0.29 to 0.02, P = 0.087) to hip external rotation strength (Estimate 0.00.95%CI: 0.05 to 0.05, P = 0.918). No relationships were modified by sex or age.

Conclusions: Similar levels of hip muscle strength and functional performance were found in active football players with and without hip dysplasia. These findings differ from other studies. This may be due to our cohort having less advanced hip dysplasia than the surgical populations that have been previously investigated, or due to a beneficial effect of football participation on muscle strength and functional performance in people with hip dysplasia.

Keywords: Australian football; Groin; Hip; Hip dysplasia; Muscle strength; Rehabilitation; Soccer.

MeSH terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Football* / physiology
Groin
Hip Dislocation*
Hip Joint / physiology
Humans
Muscle Strength / physiology