Hypermobile joints

Abstract

Joint hypermobility has long been considered a finding predictive of various disorders or symptoms. More recently, this somewhat vague observation has been made more precise by the Beighton scoring system, which assigns a number (the Beighton score) based upon a standardized examination. This has led to a host of studies in which the Beighton score is used to diagnose joint hypermobility and establish associations. In this volume of The Journal, Morris et al from Western Australia report a study based upon more than 1500 children in a birth cohort for whom Beighton scores are available, along with a number of other clinical measures. There are a number of important observations in this study. Perhaps most important is the high prevalence of joint hypermobility in this cohort (60.6% boys and 36.7% girls) when the (usual) Beighton score of >4 is used as the definition. This prevalence drops to 26.1% and 11.5%, respectively, if a Beighton score cut off of >6 is employed. Associations with activity and pain were also variable. As increased interest in using the Beighton score in epidemiologic studies develops, it is important that the wide variability in “normal” values by age, sex, and even region needs to be appreciated. Article page 213 ▶ Hypermobility and Musculoskeletal Pain in AdolescentsThe Journal of PediatricsVol. 181PreviewTo determine the prevalence of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) in a large cohort of Australian children and determine the associations between GJH and musculoskeletal pain. Full-Text PDF