Hip muscle strength and function in very elderly womenDepartment of Health Sciences, University of East London, London
Department of Health Sciences, University of East London, Romford Road, London E15 4LZ, UK
University Department of Geriatric Medicine, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, University of London, London
University Department of Geriatric Medicine, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, University of London, London Objective: To establish normative data for hip abductors and extensors and to investigate the relationship between these muscles, quadriceps femoris and functional ability. Subjects: Twenty healthy elderly women, mean age 84 ± 3.1 years took part; test-retest reliability was established in six healthy elderly women, mean age 75 ± 9.1 years. Main outcome measures: Isometric hip abductor, hip extensor and quadriceps femoris strength, leg extensor power (LEP), walking speed over 6 m, functional reach and stepping on to blocks of differing height. Results: Intraclass correlations of 0.98 and 0.99 and coefficient of variations (CV) between occasions of 4.7% and 7.2% were established for hip abductor and extensor measurements. The best correlations were between walking speed and strength of quadriceps femoris (p <0.001), between function reach and LEP (p <0.001). LEP was the most significant predictor of functional reach and step height climbed; quadriceps strength was the most significant predictor of walking speed. Conclusions: The data provide a baseline for future studies with less healthy women.
Clinical Rehabilitation, Vol. 10, No. 4,
319-327 (1996) |
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