BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF JOINT HYPERMOBILITY AMONG MUSICIANS

Background. Joint hypermobility is considered to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. However, the degree of hypermobility in members of particular occupations requiring intense physical activity and the na ture of the association between symptoms referable to specific joints and their hypermobility are unknown. Methods. We interviewed 660 music ians (300 women and 360 men) about work-related symptoms such as joint pain and swelling and examined them for joint hypermobility according to a standard protocol. We then determined the relation between the m obility of their fingers, thumbs, elbows, knees, and spine and any sym ptoms referable to these regions. Results. Five of the 96 musicians (5 percent) with hypermobility of the wrists, mostly instrumentalists wh o played the flute, violin, or piano, had pain and stiffness in this r egion, whereas 100 of the 564 musicians (18 percent) Hypermobility of the elbow was associated with symptoms in only 1 of 208 musicians (<1 percent), whereas 7 of 452 (2 percent) without this hypermobility had symptoms (P = 0.45). Among the 132 musicians who had hypermobile knees , 6 (5 percent) had symptoms, whereas only 1 of 528 (<1 percent) with normal knees had symptoms (P<0.001). Of the 462 musicians who had norm al mobility of the spine, 50 (11 percent) had symptoms involving the b ack, as compared with 46 of the 198 musicians (23 percent) who had hyp ermobility of the spine (P<0.001). Conclusions. Among musicians who pl ay instruments requiring repetitive motion, hypermobility of joints su ch as the wrists and elbows may be an asset, whereas hypermobility of less frequently moved joints such as the knees and spine may be a liab ility.