Editorial Commentary: Diagnosis and Treatment of Generalized Joint Hypermobility in Patients With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.

Abstract

Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH), or laxity, is defined as hyperextensibility of the synovial joints. Hypermobility is caused by alterations in the connective tissues, in turn caused by various factors including impaired function of collagen proteins. For measurement of knee GJH, we highly recommend using the Beighton score, the most frequently used method in both the sports medicine and other literature. Our recommendations on how to treat patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury with generalized joint hypermobility include the following: (1) use patellar-tendon or quadriceps tendon autograft for ACL reconstruction; (2) always consider performing a lateral extra-articular tenodesis; and (3) make sure patients pass a return to sport test battery including strength, hop performance, subjective knee function, and movement quality. Delay to return to sport may be as long as 1 year after surgery.