title: The association between women's pelvic organ prolapse and joint hypermobility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether joint hypermobility is associated with pelvic organ prolapse.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case-control study was conducted from January to April 2011 and comprised 30 women with pelvic organ prolapse, stage > or = II and 30 controls with stages 0 and I with similar age and parity. They were recruited from the gynaecology clinic at Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. The condition was evaluated by a quantification system and, for the purposes of this study, pelvic organ prolapse was defined as stage > or = II. All the subjects were examined in the dorsal lithotomic position with an empty bladder. A separate investigator evaluated each subject for joint hypermobility by using Beighton score which was calculated by doing five simple manoeuvres. SPSS 11.5 was used for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the 30 cases was 35.40 +/- 6.39 years, while for the controls it was 35.36 +/- 5.9 years. Overall clinical joint hypermobility was found in 24 of the 60 (40%) subjects. There were no significant difference in the prevalence of joint hypermobility between the two groups. The prevalence of hypermobility in the cases was 36.7% (n = 11) versus 43.3% (n=13) in the controls (p = 0.59). The prevalence of cystocele in subjects with joint hypermobility was 41.7% (n = 10) versus 38.9% (n=14), (p < 0.83); rectocele 33.3% (n = 8) versus 41.7% ( n =15), (p < 0.73) women with normal joint mobility. No Significant differences were found between the groups with regard to other markers of connective tissue weakness such as the presence of varicose veins (p < 0.37), easy bruising ( p < 0.43) and observed striae ( p < 0.42).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Joint hypermobility was not associated with pelvic organ prolapse in the study population. Further studies involving more patients with pelvic organ prolapse are recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women Health Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: Leili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hafizi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Women Health Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mirfeizi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Nastaran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Razmjoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Fellowship of Urogynecology, Women Health Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: Maliheh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keshvari
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Atefeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jabbari
authors.affiliation: Women Health Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: Hami
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.affiliation: Women Health Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yousefi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors