This cross-sectional study provide the basis for improving the hip OA management at an early stage. As found,  greater CSA of hip adductors was associated with better functional outcomes in those with mild-to-moderate hip OA portraying a significant and consistent association for hip adductors, i.e. adductor longus and magnus. 

This study focus on investigating the link between hip muscle cross-sectional area and hip pain and function in community-based people suffering from with hip osteoarthritis, OA (mild to moderate).

The cross-sectional area (CSA) of hip muscles, comprising of psoas major, rectus femoris, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and minimus, adductor longus and magnus, obturator internus, and obturator externus, were measured from magnetic resonance images were evaluated of 27 patients (63.2 (SD 7.6) years; 18 females) with hip OA. Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) was used to examine the hip pain and function. This score was further divided into 5 subscales as; 1. pain, 2. symptoms, 3. activity of daily living, 4. sport and recreation function, and 5. hip-related quality of life, QoL (for each subscale: 0 equals to extreme problems and 100 equals to no problems).

Greater CSA of adductor longus and magnus was linked with a higher HOOS score in QoL (regression coefficient 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.2–2.7, p = 0.02), activity of daily living (regression coefficient 1.3, 95% CI 0.1–2.6, p = 0.04) and sport and recreation function (regression coefficient 1.6, 95% CI 0.1–3.0, p = 0.04) after attuning for age and gender. A link between greater CSA of psoas major and a higher QoL score (regression coefficient 3.6, 95% CI − 0.5 to 7.7, p = 0.08) was also found. There was no significant link concerning CSA of hip muscles and HOOS pain or symptom score.

To conclude, greater CSA of hip adductors and hip flexors was linked with better function plus QoL and better QoL alone, respectively in people with hip OA (mild-to-moderate).