Hypermobility of joints in dancers

OBJECTIVES: The current understanding of hypermobility and its diagnostic criteria is still insufficient to create a complete and systematic clinical presentation of the disorder. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) amongst a cohort of jazz dancers, by analyzing its presence in accordance with a number of diagnostic criteria, and to verify potential risk factors for joint hypermobility in jazz dancers. METHODS: 77 jazz dancers from the Polish Dance Theater were examined (58 female and 19 male). The prevalence of JHS was assessed using the following diagnostic tools: a structured interview, Beighton score, Grahame & Hakim questionnaire, and Sachse’s criteria, in the modified version proposed by Kapandji. RESULTS: The prevalence of JHS in this cohort of jazz dancers differed significantly, depending on which criteria were adopted (p = 0.001) with Beighton score, Grahame & Hakim questionnaire, and Sachse’s criteria identifying 64.9%, 74% and 59.7% of the sample as JHS respectively. Hypermobility was significantly more prevalent in women than men (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a significant prevalence of joint hypermobility in jazz dancers and corroborates the findings of other researchers, indicating the need for unified diagnostic criteria for JHS in dancers.