Hip stabiliser muscle activity during stepping tasks: comparisons between people with hip osteoarthritis and matched controls

Abstract

Introduction: Gluteus medius (GMed) and Gluteus minimus (GMin) are the main stabilisers at the hip joint. Abnormal functioning of these muscles could be associated with the functional deficits observed in people with hip osteoarthritis (OA). Previous literature has identified altered gluteus minimus (GMin) activity in people with hip osteoarthritis (OA) during gait and there is also some evidence of altered gluteus medius (GMed) activity in patients with advanced OA. However, it is not known whether these muscles also exhibit altered activity during other functional tasks (e.g., stepping).The aim of this study was to compare hip stabiliser muscle activity in people with hip OA and healthy older adults during stepping tasks.