Generalized joint hypermobility and voiding dysfunction in children: is there any relationship?

Voiding dysfunction is a common entity in pediatric urology. It is believed to have a multifactorial etiology. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an increased prevalence of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) in children with voiding dysfunction compared to normal children. Moreover, the prevalence of voiding complaints in patients with and without GJH was assessed. A total of 226 children—aged 5 to 14 years—including 113 patients diagnosed with voiding dysfunction and 113 sex/age/body mass index-matched normal children were recruited. GJH was evaluated in both groups using the Beighton score (4 or more = hypermobile). In the patient’s group, GJH was significantly more frequent than in controls: 51/113 (45 %) versus 19/113 (17 %) (P = 0.001). In addition, in both groups, GJH was more prominent in girls than boys (P