Hip Joint Loading During Walking Is Associated With Cartilage Defect Severity in Young Adult Football Players With Hip/Groin Pain

Abstract

Understanding factors associated with early hip osteoarthritis (OA) in young active adults may facilitate hip OA prevention. We investigated the cross-sectional association between hip contact force (HCF) during walking and cartilage defect severity, accounting for cam morphology size (alpha angle), hip pain severity, sex, age, and walking speed, in football players with hip/groin pain. One hundred and twenty-one football players (18–50 years; 26 women) with > 6-month hip/groin pain and no radiographic OA underwent MRI and a Dunn 45° radiograph. Outcome: Scoring Hip Osteoarthritis with MRI (SHOMRI) score for cartilage defect severity (0–20), categorized into three SHOMRI groups: (a) SHOMRI =..