Abstract
Muscle composition has not been fully characterized in individuals with hip osteoarthritis (OA), particularly in the hip abductors (Figure 1) which act to stabilize the pelvis during functional tasks. Increased fatty infiltration of the hip abductors may be associated with both radiological and clinical severity of OA.1-3. Fatty infiltration varies significantly along the length of the muscle, particularly in the Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus.4. Previous studies have typically only evaluated a small volume of the muscle, and many of these have relied on visual scoring of fatty infiltration which lacks sensitivity.4. The goal of this study was to evaluate muscle composition of the hip abductors along the length of the muscle from the iliac crest to the greater trochanter and to relate these measures to patient-reported outcomes and joint health.