The effects of gender and pubertal status on generalized joint laxity in young athletes
Open accessAbstract
Our purpose was to examine the effects of pubertal status on generalized joint laxity in a population of male and female athletes. We hypothesized that females would show higher generalized joint laxity after the onset of puberty while males would not. This cross-sectional cohort study included 275 female and 143 male middle school and high school basketball and soccer athletes. Joint laxity was assessed using the Beighton and Horan Joint Mobility Index. BHJMI scores were averaged and female and male athletes were compared by pubertal stage. Females demonstrated increased joint laxity scores between pre-pubertal and post-pubertal groups (P=0.042), while males did not. Pre-pubertal male and female athletes were not different in cumulative joint laxity scores (female pre-puberty mean=2.00; male pre-pubertal mean=1.66). However, following the onset of puberty females (pubertal mean=2.96; post-pubertal mean=3.03) demonstrated a greater joint laxity score compared to males (pubertal mean=1.24; post-pubertal mean=1.30). Gender differences in BHJMI score was found at puberty and post-puberty (P<0.001). In contrast to males, females may have greater generalized joint laxity following the onset of puberty. Structural and physiological changes that occur during puberty such as alterations in passive joint restraints, may affect the type, severity and incidence of injuries in the maturing adolescent population.
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Musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents correlates with impaired health-related quality of life.
“Musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents correlates with impaired health-related quality of life, 46 while also predicting health and social difficulties in later life. 47”
From No association between joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal pain and neurodevelopmental problems in a school-based sample of 11-year-old children (2025) · cites this paper as [46]
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Self-citationThe risk of anterior cruciate ligament rupture with generalised joint laxity
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HYPERMOBILITY: PREVALENCE AND FEATURES IN A SWEDISH POPULATION
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Self-citationThe Beighton Score as a measure of generalised joint hypermobility
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“This health condition can be asymptomatic and has a varied prevalence, 2–57% [1, 2].”
BackgroundSymptomatic joint hypermobility
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Does the item ‘hands on floor’ add value to the Beighton score in identifying joint hypermobility?
Corten, L., Ferguson, G., & Smits-Engelsman, B. (2020) · European Journal of Rheumatology · doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2020.19185 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Glans, M. R., Aziz, A., Kindgren, E., Knez, R., Landgren, M., & Landgren, V. (2025) · BJPsych Open · doi:10.1192/bjo.2025.10881
- Authors
- Quatman, C. E., Ford, K. R., Myer, G. D., Paterno, M. V., & Hewett, T. E.
- Affiliations
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hewett, Timothy E.
- Venue
- Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-06
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 257-263
- ISSN
- 1440-2440 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2453596
- OpenAlex
- W1993837858
- Cited by
- 217
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 3.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Journal of science and medicine in sport (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R01AR049735, R01AR056259)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Connective tissue disorders research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports injuries and prevention
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Lower Extremity Biomechanics and Pathologies
- Keywords
- generalized joint laxity, puberty, sex differences, youth athletes, basketball, soccer, joint mobility
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Joint Instability, Male, Puberty, Sex Factors, Cohort Studies
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