title: Joint laxity in children.
abstract: Joint laxity was measured clinically in 2,360 normal Chinese children aged 3-13 years with equal sex distribution using the Carter Wilkinson five tests and scoring system. Results showed minimal differences due to gender. The degree of joint laxity diminished with age. The knee extension and ankle extension tests were more sensitive than other tests. Chinese children were far more lax throughout the age range, with 100% "laxity" at age 3, 67% laxity at age 6, and 28% laxity at age 12, in contrast to 50, 5, and 1% laxity in the same age group respectively, in large series of Caucasian children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Hui
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D044465:White People