Hypermobility syndrome increases the risk for low bone mass

Abstract

Few studies on the benign joint hypermobility syndrome suggest a tendency toward osteopenia, but there are conflicting results. We assessed bone mineral density in pre-menopausal women with hypermobility. Twenty-five consecutive Caucasian women diagnosed with benign hypermobility syndrome by Beighton score and 23 age- and sex-matched controls were included in the study. Age, menarch age, number of pregnancies, duration of lactation, physical activity and calcium intake were questioned according to European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study Group (EVOS) form. All subjects were pre-menopausal and none of them were on treatment with any drugs effecting bone metabolism or had any other systemic disease. No statistically significant difference was found for body mass index, menarch age, number of pregnancies, duration of lactation, calcium intake, calcium score and physical activity score between the two groups. Total femoral and trochanteric bone mineral density and t and z scores were significantly lower in hypermobile patients compared to the control group. Ward's triangle and femoral neck z scores were also found to be significantly low in hypermobile patients (p<0.05). Significant negative correlations were found between the Beighton scores and trochanteric BMD, t and z scores (r=-0.29, r=-0.30, and r=-0.32) in hypermobility patients. Low bone mass was more frequently found among subjects with hypermobility (p=0.03). Hypermobility was found to increase the risk for low bone mass by 1.8 times (95% confidence interval 1.01-3.38). Our study suggests that pre-menopausal women with joint hypermobility have lower bone mineral density when compared to the controls and hypermobility increases the risk for low bone mass.

Prevalence, injury rate and, symptom frequency in generalized joint laxity and joint hypermobility syndrome in a “healthy” college population

“…The percentage of subjects reporting musculoskeletal complaints was much lower in our sample of subjects with JHS, which may be because our sample was taken from a healthy population rather than a JHS specialty clinic. The increased prevalence of stress fractures among subjects with JHS in the current study was not expected, although prior studies have shown decreased bone density in GJH [43].…”

Nosology and inheritance pattern(s) of joint hypermobility syndrome and Ehlers‐Danlos syndrome, hypermobility type: A study of intrafamilial and interfamilial variability in 23 Italian pedigrees

“…survey [ (Gharbiya et al, 2012], baseline coagulation tests [Jackson et al, 2013] and bone mineral density test [Gulbahar et al, 2006]. A few patients also needed a head-up tilt-test [Mathias et al, 2011].…”

Joint Hypermobility and Anxiety: The State of the Art

“…Some studies confirm that JHS can produce rheumatologic complications such as premature osteoarthrosis, calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition, and chondrocalcinosis [13][14][15]. Other studies show an association between JHS and fibromyalgia, with the prevalence of JHS in patients with fibromyalgia ranging between 25% [16•] and 27% [17].…”