Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 15, 2025

An Inertial Measurement Unit Based Method to Estimate Hip and Knee Joint Kinematics in Team Sport Athletes on the Field
Published on: May 26, 2020
Joint hypermobility and musculoskeletal injuries in a university-aged population
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Marieb College of Health & Human Services, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Boulevard South, Marieb Hall 419, Fort Myers, 33912, Fort Myers, Florida, USA.
Objective:
To explore the correlation between joint hypermobility and risk of musculoskeletal injuries in a university-aged population.
Design:
Cross-sectional study using an anonymous survey.
Setting:
Anatomy & Physiology lab.
Participants:
816 undergraduate Anatomy & Physiology students at a university in the United States.
Main Outcome Measures:
Beighton score, self-reported musculoskeletal injuries.
Results:
Athletically active study respondents reported more musculoskeletal injuries than respondents who indicated not being athletically active. Female respondents had lower rates of self-reported injuries than male respondents (55.4% vs. 65.5%; p = 0.0099; odds ratio: 1.53). The most commonly reported injury type for both women and men were quadriceps, groin and hamstring injuries. Neither male nor female respondents with generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) or localized joint hypermobility (LJH) reported higher rates of musculoskeletal injuries.
Conclusions:
Athletically active young adults are at greater risk for sustaining musculoskeletal injuries; however, there is no additional increase in injury risk for young people with GJH or LJH.
Related Concept Videos
Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle
Musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders involve injuries and conditions affecting the skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues. These disorders can arise from acute biomechanical stresses or chronic overuse and can occur across different age groups. Common injuries include sprains, fractures, and muscular strains, often resulting from...
Joints
Structural joint classifications are based on the material that makes up the joint as well as whether or not the joint contains a space between the bones. Joints are structurally classified as fibrous, cartilaginous, or synovial.
Fibrous Joints Are Immovable
The bones of a...
Introduction to Joints
Development of the Limb Synovial Joints
The mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes that form the hyaline cartilage, and later the cartilaginous model of the bone. This model further transforms into a bone. This process is known as endochondral ossification.
During development, the limbs...
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Ankle Joint

