title: Prevalence of generalised joint hypermobility in school-aged children from east-central European region.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is no literature regarding joint mobility in children of the Central and Eastern Europe. Studies describing clinical characteristics and functional outcomes are still needed. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of generalised joint hypermobility (GJH) in the group of school-aged children from Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, in relation to different cut-off values of the Beighton score (BS), and to identify possible patients with joint hypermobility syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The representative sample of this study was calculated to be 760 subjects. A total of 778 children from different schools were screened for the mobility of joints. The medical examination included an assessment of joints' hypermobility according to the BS. The presence of specific signs (marfanoid habitus, antimongoloid slant and drooping eyelids) was assessed additionally. Parents of all involved children were asked to answer the questions developed based on the Brighton criteria regarding the medical history of children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of GJH in school-aged children from Vilnius, depending on the BS cut-off value, was 19.2% (BS ≥ 4), 9.5% (BS ≥ 5) or 5.7% (BS ≥ 6). The increased range of mobility was most frequently detected in thumbs of school- -aged children. The frequency of hyperextension > 10o in knees was 7- to 8-fold lower than the frequency of hyperextension > 10o in a passive opposition of the thumb. The evaluation results were similar on the left and right sides in 87.4% cases of thumb opposition, 90.1% cases of hyperextension of 5th finger, 87.9% cases of elbow manoeuvres, and 94.8% attempts to hyperextend knee.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of GJH in school-aged children from Vilnius depends on the BS cut-off value and ranges from 5.7% to 19.2%.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gocentas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jascaniniene
authors.affiliation: Gdańsk University of Physical Education and Sport. mpasek@awf.gda.pl.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pasek
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Przybylski
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matulyte
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mieliauskaite
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kwilecki
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaszczanin
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007719:Knee Joint; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Beighton score; Brighton criteria; generalised joint hypermobility; prevalence; school-aged children