Arthritis Care Res

New benchmarks define meaningful improvement in hip OA exercise trials

March 3, 2026

This new analysis provides concrete minimal important change (MIC) and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds for pain and function in adults with hip osteoarthritis (OA) undergoing physiotherapist‑guided exercise. In a 196‑patient randomized trial, researchers found that clinically meaningful improvement corresponded to Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain changes of 2.1–2.4 points (MIC) and 2.0–2.4 points (MCID) at 3 and 9 months. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) results showed pain MIC/MCID of 2.8–3.0 points and function MIC of 8.3–8.7 points with MCID of 8.3–9.2 points, providing validated benchmarks for interpreting patient‑reported progress during exercise therapy

Clinical takeaway: When following hip OA patients in exercise therapy, use NRS and WOMAC MIC/MCID thresholds (e.g., ≥2‑point NRS pain improvement, ≥3‑point WOMAC pain improvement, ≥8–9‑point WOMAC function improvement) to determine whether observed gains represent truly meaningful clinical change.

Source:

Guerrero Y, et al. (2026, February 24). Arthritis Care Res. Minimal important change and minimal clinically important difference in pain and function with exercise in hip osteoarthritis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41736456/