Having quadriceps muscles that are stronger than the hamstrings may help reduce the risk of total knee replacement surgery in patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis, according to a press release from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Researchers explained that over 50% of the patients diagnosed with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis may later require total knee replacement surgery. They noted that the quadriceps and hamstrings create a balance of forces that protect the knee joints; however, an imbalance may lead to the progression of knee osteoarthritis. In a study presented by Upadhyay Bharadwaj et al at the RSNA 2023 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, researchers used the Osteoarthritis Initiative to analyze the thigh muscle volume of 67 patients who underwent total knee replacement surgery and 67 age- and gender-matched controls. To measure thigh muscle volume, they conducted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at 3 teslas at the time of surgery, as well as 2 years and 4 years prior to surgery. Participants who had a higher ratio of quadriceps to hamstring volume and hamstring to gracilis volume were less likely to have to undergo total knee replacement surgery. The researchers hope their new findings can encourage patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis to partake in strength-training programs. “While these results are essential for targeted therapy in a population at risk for osteoarthritis, even the general public can benefit from our results to preventatively incorporate appropriate strengthening exercises,” concluded lead study author Upasana Upadhyay Bharadwaj, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco.
December 14, 2023