Fat content of hip muscles: an anteroposterior gradient.

Background: Despite the importance of the hip muscles in protecting against hip fracture and in the outcome of hip arthroplasty, the variability in their fat content has not been previously studied. Our objectives were to evaluate the variability in the fat content of the hip muscles in a population without myopathy or a need for hip surgery with the use of computed tomography (CT), to study the relationship between hip muscle fat content and physical performance, and to identify medical conditions and lifestyle habits associated with an increase in hip muscle fat content.

Methods: Ten normal subjects without a relevant medical history and ninety-nine consecutive nonsurgical patients without myopathy (age, twenty-one to ninety-four years) underwent a nonenhanced CT scan of the pelvis.