title: Association of benign joint hypermobility with spinal segmental motion and its clinical implication in active young males.
abstract: METHODS
  A retrospective case-control analysis of prospectively collected data.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  First, to evaluate spinal intervertebral mobility in patients with joint hypermobility (JHM) and matched controls without JHM, and second, to investigate the influence of JHM on back pain, disability, and general health status in young males.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Despite the significance of benign JHM in the musculoskeletal feature, there have been no studies regarding low back pain and segmental motion in subjects with JHM. Furthermore, the clinical significance of the excessive segmental motion in young males with JHM remains unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  The JHM group included 32 subjects who had Beighton scale score of 4 or more according to 9° Beighton scale. The age-matched 32 young males without JHM were selectively included in the control group. In both groups, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analogue pain scale (VAS) for back pain, and Short-Form 36 was assessed. Radiological sagittal plane motions for each segment and whole lumbar spine were calculated as the difference between the Cobb angle measurements in the flexion and extension plain radiographs. In the lateral radiograph with neutral standing position, the intervertebral disc heights were also measured at each segment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The JHM group showed significantly larger range of motion and higher intervertebral disc height at each matched segment than the control group. The JHM group had significant increased VAS for back pain and ODI score, compared with control group. The Short-Form 36 physical function, role physical, role emotional, and physical component summary in the JHM group were significantly lower than in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that young males with JHM were found to have excessive lumbar segmental motion that was associated with increased low back pain, disability, and limited physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Spine Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Bundang-gu, Sungnam, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yeom
authors.forename: Dong-Bong
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyoung-Tak
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Bong-Soon
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Choon-Ki
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001416:Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult