[Pediatrics. Diagnosis of generalized joint hypermobility in children]

Joint hypermobility is a common feature in children and adolescents, often physiological and benign, but it is also a manifestation of hereditary connective tissue disorders. In pediatrics, there is a real need to differentiate Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) hypermobile type (hEDS) from benign hypermobility, in the absence of a genetic marker specific to this form of EDS. In 2023, the International Ehlers-Danlos Consortium revised the diagnostic criteria for children and adolescents, introducing the concept of hypermobility spectrum disorder. In line with these recommendations, the clinical criteria for hEDS established for adults do not apply in paediatrics, and hEDS should no longer be diagnosed before the age of biological maturity. At the end of the child's growth, a specialized reassessment is required, applying the 2017 hEDS criteria.