Biomechanics of Hypermobility: Selected Aspects

In an early paper, Sutro (1947) drew attention to the biomechanical aspects of hypermobility. In a study of recurrent effusions in the knees and ankles of American army recruits, he noted an increased range of both active and passive movement in the affected joints. He argued in favour of an “over-length” of certain articular, capsular and ligamentous tissues, and suggested that there might be disproportion in the relative rate of growth of the bones and their attached ligaments.