Joint hypermobility determined by the Beighton score in university students

Introduction: Joint hypermobility (JHM) implies an increased range of motion that exceeds what is considered normal for the examined joint. Objetive: To determine the frequency of JHM in first-year medical students of the Facultad de Ciencias Medicas of Universidad Nacional de Asuncion (FCM-UNA) and its association to gender. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study. A physical examination was performed using the Beighton scoring system. Individuals who scored 4 or more points were considered to have JHM. Results: 100 students were included. 38% scored at least 4 points to diagnose them with JHM. 1% met all criteria. The item that evaluates forward bending of the spine was the most frequent among students. 84.2% of the individuals with criteria for JHM were women. There is a significant difference between the presence of JHM between women and men (p = 0.001). Conclusion: There is a substantial amount of individuals who meet JHM criteria among first-year medical students of the FCM-UNA. Women were identified with JHM more frequently than men.