A clinical epidemiological study of musculoskeletal injury occurrence and orthopedic management patterns among individuals with hypermobility spectrum disorders

Objectives: To determine the frequency and clinical associations of hypermobility spectrum disorders in a central orthopedic hospital. Methods: A clinical epidemiological, prospective hospital-based cross-sectional design was employed. Kuwait Ministry of Health Ethics Board approved the study (ref. no. 2022/2233). The Beighton score and the 2017 hypermobility spectrum disorders classification framework were used for screening over a 7-month period. Results: A total of 270 patients were examined, revealing a hypermobility spectrum disorder frequency of 21.1%; 31.7% in women and 4.7% in men. The mean age ± standard deviation was 39.4 ± 16.9 years, and 91.2% of identified cases were women. Among individuals with hypermobility spectrum disorders, 63.2% were classified as generalized hypermobility spectrum disorders, 26.3% as localized hypermobility spectrum disorders, and 10.5% as peripheral hypermobility spectrum disorders. The most frequent primary diagnosis or injury involved the knee (45.3%), hand (19.4%), and foot and ankle (19.4%). The most frequent secondary diagnosis or injury involved the knee (40.6%) and foot and ankle (28.1%). The most frequent tertiary diagnosis or injury involved the knee (50.0%) and the spine (20.0%). Management was most commonly directed toward the knee (45.7%), followed by the foot and ankle (12.7%). Statistically significant associations were identified between the Beighton score and primary diagnosis or injury ( p = 0.032, r = 0.284), secondary management ( p = 0.003, r = 0.516), and tertiary management ( p = 0.027, r = 0.690). Conclusion: Hypermobility spectrum disorder was frequently observed in a central orthopedic hospital and showed significant associations with orthopedic diagnoses and management pathways, indicating a substantial clinical burden and implications for orthopedic service planning.