ArticleArthritis care & research2015
Relationship between isometric thigh muscle strength and minimum clinically important differences in knee function in osteoarthritis: data from the osteoarthritis initiative.
Article in Arthritis care & research, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Individualized Physical Therapy on Pain and Function in Individuals With Chronic Knee Pain: A Pilot Study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy · 2026Trial
- Effects of Using High-Frequency TENS During an Exercise Therapy Program in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy · 2026Trial
- A Novel Mobile App-based Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Therapy for the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis: Results From an Extension Study of a Randomized, Double-blind, Sham-controlled, Multicenter Trial.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews · 2022Trial
- Associations among knee muscle strength, structural damage, and pain and mobility in individuals with osteoarthritis and symptomatic meniscal tear.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2018Trial
- Handgrip and contralateral knee flexion strength as key predictors of daily physical activity in severe knee osteoarthritis.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Mediating role of effusion-synovitis in knee pain worsening following quadriceps weakness: data from the osteoarthritis initiative.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Thigh muscle features in female patients with severe knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Management of persistent patellofemoral pain conditions using a tricompartmental offloading knee brace: a case series.The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association · 2024Article
- Trajectories and Predictors of Weight-Bearing and Non-Weight-Bearing Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis: A 9-Year Follow-Up Study.Journal of pain research · 2024Article
- Relation of pain sensitization to self-reported and performance-based measures of physical functioning: the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) study.Osteoarthritis and cartilage · 2023Article
- Enhanced echo intensity in vastus medialis is associated with worsening of functional disabilities and symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a 3 years longitudinal study.Rheumatology international · 2023Article
- Unilateral Strength Training Imparts a Cross-Education Effect in Unilateral Knee Osteoarthritis Patients.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2022Article
- Quadriceps strength is negatively associated with knee joint structural abnormalities-data from osteoarthritis initiative.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Observational
- Enhanced echo intensity and a higher extracellular water-to-intracellular water ratio are helpful clinical signs for detecting muscle degeneration in patients with knee osteoarthritis.Clinical rheumatology · 2021Article
- Extracellular-to-intracellular water ratios are associated with functional disability levels in patients with knee osteoarthritis: results from the Nagahama Study.Clinical rheumatology · 2021Article
- Patient-specific reference values for objective physical function tests: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Clinical rheumatology · 2020Observational
- Quadriceps Weakness in Individuals with Coexisting Medial and Lateral Osteoarthritis.JB & JS open access · 2019Article
- Lower Quadriceps Rate of Force Development Is Associated With Worsening Physical Function in Adults With or at Risk for Knee Osteoarthritis: 36-Month Follow-Up Data From the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation · 2018Article
- Psychological health is associated with knee pain and physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis: an exploratory cross-sectional study.BMC psychology · 2018Article
- Determining the minimally important difference in quadriceps strength in individuals with COPD using a fixed dynamometer.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo determine the relationship between thigh muscle strength and clinically relevant differences in self-assessed lower leg function.
methodsIsometric knee extensor and flexor strength of 4,553 Osteoarthritis Initiative participants (2,651 women and 1,902 men) was related to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) physical function scores by linear regression. Further, groups of male and female participant strata with minimum clinically important differences (MCIDs) in WOMAC function scores (6 of 68 units) were compared across the full range of observed values and to participants without functional deficits (WOMAC score 0). The effect of WOMAC knee pain and body mass index on the above relationships was explored using stepwise regression.
resultsPer regression equations, a 3.7% reduction in extensor strength and a 4.0% reduction in flexor strength were associated with an MCID in WOMAC function in women, and, respectively, a 3.6% and 4.8% reduction in men. For strength divided by body weight, reductions were 5.2% and 6.7%, respectively, in women and 5.8% and 6.7%, respectively, in men. Comparing MCID strata across the full observed range of WOMAC function confirmed the above estimates and did not suggest nonlinear relationships across the spectrum of observed values. WOMAC pain correlated strongly with WOMAC function, but extensor (and flexor) muscle strength contributed significant independent information.
conclusionReductions of approximately 4% in isometric muscle strength and of 6% in strength per body weight were related to a clinically relevant difference in WOMAC functional disability. Longitudinal studies will need to confirm these relationships within persons. Muscle extensor (and flexor) strength (per body weight) provided significant independent information in addition to pain in explaining variability in lower leg function.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.