Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026

The Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill for Knee Osteoarthritis Rehabilitation
Published on: July 22, 2019
Hip strength in females with and without patellofemoral pain
Mary Lloyd Ireland1, John D Willson, Bryon T Ballantyne
1Kentucky Sports Medicine Clinic, Lexington, KY, USA.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional.
Objectives:
To determine if females with anterior knee pain are more likely to demonstrate hip abduction or external rotation weakness than a similar, asymptomatic, age-matched control group.
Background:
Diminished hip strength has been implicated as being contributory to lower-extremity malalignment and patellofemoral pain. The identification of reliable and consistent patterns of weakness in this population may assist health care professionals establish a more effective treatment plan.
Methods And Measures:
Hip abduction and external rotation isometric strength measurements were recorded for the injured side of 15 female subjects with patellofemoral joint pain (mean +/- SD age, 15.7 +/- 2.7 years; age range, 12-21 years). These were compared with strength measurements from the corresponding hip of 15 age-matched female control subjects (mean +/- SD age, 15.7 +/- 2.7 years; age range, 12-21 years). All strength measurements were made using hand-held dynamometers.
Results:
Subjects with patellofemoral pain demonstrated 26% less hip abduction strength (P<.001) and 36% less hip external rotation strength (P<.001) than similar age-matched controls.
Conclusions:
The results indicate that young women with patellofemoral pain are more likely to demonstrate weakness in hip abduction as well as external rotation than age-matched women who are not symptomatic.
Related Concept Videos
Bones of the Lower Limb: Femur and Patella
Sites for measuring blood pressure
The Brachial Artery: Primary Site for Blood Pressure Measurement
Hypertension II: Pathophysiology
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Assessing Blood Pressure
Hypertension III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Alterations in Blood Pressure
Hypertension (High blood pressure)
Hypertension occurs when blood pressure readings consistently exceed the normal range. It is diagnosed when systolic blood pressure (the top number, indicating pressure while the heart beats)...