Do Patients With Traumatic Recurrent Anterior Shoulder Instability Have Generalized Joint Laxity?

A number of studies suggest a relationship between generalized joint laxity (GJL) and increased risk of some musculoskeletal injuries. However, there are conflicting data on the association between GJL and traumatic recurrent shoulder instability (RSI). We therefore asked whether the incidence of GJL in patients with RSI was greater than that in a control group. We preoperatively determined GJL with a Beighton score in 100 male patients arthroscopically treated for RSI. The mean age of the patients was 25 years. We identified a control group of 100 individuals, matched for age and gender, with no known history of instability of the shoulder, knees, or ankles and obtained the same score. Those patients with a Beighton score greater than six points were considered lax (representing GJL). We identified no difference in the rate of GJL in the two groups: 13 of the 100 patients versus nine of the 100 control subjects. Our data add to the literature suggesting GJL does not predispose to RSI. Level II, prognostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.