OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether hip abductor strength-based exercise therapy could result in further function improvement and more pain relief in women with knee osteoarthritis. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTINGS: Rehabilitation department of Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from years 2016 to 2018. SUBJECTS: In total, 82 women aged 50 to 70 years, with knee osteoarthritis grade II to IV on the Kellgren-Lawrence scale. INTERVENTION: The experimental group engaged in hip abductor strength-based exercises under the supervision of physical therapists (once a day for six weeks), while the control group engaged in quadriceps femoris strength-based exercises. MAIN MEASURES: Osteoarthritis severity measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, pain on a visual analogue scale and three objective functional tests were assessed at the sixth and 12th week. Repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariable analysis were applied. RESULTS: Finally, 72 participants completed the study: 35 in the experimental group and 37 in the control group. The self-reported functional difficulties score in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group both at the sixth week and at the 12th week (p < 0.001). There were significant differences between groups in the stair ascent/descent task and Figure of 8 Walk test, but not in the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test. The pain in the experimental group decreased compared with that in the control group at the sixth week (p < 0.05), but not at the 12th week (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hip abductor strength-based exercises could result in better performance and higher self-reported function in women with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

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