Arthritis care & research
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Arthritis care & research · Sep 2010
Thigh muscle strength, functional capacity, and self-reported function in patients at high risk of knee osteoarthritis compared with controls.
Reduced muscle strength is suggested as a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Meniscectomy patients have an increased risk of developing knee OA. The aim of this study was to identify reductions in different aspects of muscle strength as well as objectively measured and self-reported lower extremity function in middle-aged patients who had undergone a meniscectomy compared with controls. ⋯ Thigh muscle strength is not impaired in middle-aged adults 2 years after resection of a degenerative tear. Our findings indicate that factors other than muscle strength are responsible for the perceived functional limitations and suggest that training to improve strength alone may not be sufficient to improve self-reported function in patients at high risk of knee OA.