title: Do patients with traumatic recurrent anterior shoulder instability have generalized joint laxity?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A number of studies suggest a relationship between generalized joint laxity (GJL) and increased risk of some musculoskeletal injuries. However, there are conflicting data on the association between GJL and traumatic recurrent shoulder instability (RSI).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We therefore asked whether the incidence of GJL in patients with RSI was greater than that in a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  We preoperatively determined GJL with a Beighton score in 100 male patients arthroscopically treated for RSI. The mean age of the patients was 25 years. We identified a control group of 100 individuals, matched for age and gender, with no known history of instability of the shoulder, knees, or ankles and obtained the same score. Those patients with a Beighton score greater than six points were considered lax (representing GJL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified no difference in the rate of GJL in the two groups: 13 of the 100 patients versus nine of the 100 control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data add to the literature suggesting GJL does not predispose to RSI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level II, prognostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Shoulder Unit Orthopaedic Service, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Ack 1199, Argentina. mranalletta@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Maximiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ranalletta
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bongiovanni
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: Juan Manuel Lopez
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ovenza
authors.forename: Gaston
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maignon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*