# Ligamentous laxity

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Looseness of the ligaments

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Medical condition

Ligamentous laxity Hypermobile finger Specialty Orthopaedics, Medical genetics

**Ligamentous laxity** or **ligament laxity** can appear in a variety of ways and levels of severity.

In most people, ligaments (which are the tissues that connect bones to each other) are naturally tight in such a way that the joints are restricted to 'normal' ranges of motion. This creates normal joint stability. If muscular control does not compensate for ligamentous laxity, [joint instability](/source/Joint_instability) may result. The trait is almost certainly [hereditary](/source/Hereditary), and is usually something the affected person would just be aware of, rather than a serious medical condition. However, if there is widespread laxity of other connective tissue, then this may be a sign of [Ehlers–Danlos syndrome](/source/Ehlers%E2%80%93Danlos_syndrome), [Down syndrome](/source/Down_syndrome), [Klippel–Feil syndrome](/source/Klippel%E2%80%93Feil_syndrome), [juvenile idiopathic arthritis](/source/Juvenile_idiopathic_arthritis), [Larsen syndrome](/source/Larsen_syndrome), [Marfan syndrome](/source/Marfan_syndrome), [osteogenesis imperfecta](/source/Osteogenesis_imperfecta), and other medical conditions.[1][2]

Ligamentous laxity may also result from injury, such as from a vehicle accident. It can result from whiplash and be overlooked for years by doctors who are not looking for it, despite the [chronic pain](/source/Chronic_pain) that accompanies the resultant spinal instability. Ligamentous laxity will show up on an upright [magnetic resonance imaging](/source/Magnetic_resonance_imaging) (MRI), the only kind of MRI that will show soft tissue damage. It can only be inferred from a digital motion x-ray.[3]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Quinones-Hinojosa, Alfredo (2021-04-22). [*Schmidek and Sweet: Operative Neurosurgical Techniques: Schmidek and Sweet: Operative Neurosurgical Techniques E-Book*](https://books.google.com/books?id=2MsqEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22ligamentous+laxity%22&pg=PA1957). Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 1937. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-323-41519-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-323-41519-4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Kumar, M. N. (2016-01-01). [*Orthopedics and Trauma: Principles and Practice*](https://books.google.com/books?id=MdvuDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22ligamentous+laxity%22&pg=PA408). Wolters kluwer india Pvt Ltd. p. 408. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-93-5129-508-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-93-5129-508-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Khan SN, Erickson G, Sena MJ, Gupta MC (January 2011). "Use of flexion and extension radiographs of the cervical spine to rule out acute instability in patients with negative computed tomography scans". *J Orthop Trauma*. **25** (1): 51–56. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1097/BOT.0b013e3181dc54bf](https://doi.org/10.1097%2FBOT.0b013e3181dc54bf). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [21085024](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21085024). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [38013996](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:38013996).

## External links

Classification D ICD-10: M24.2 ICD-9-CM: 728.4

v t e Acquired musculoskeletal deformities Upper limb shoulder Adhesive capsulitis Rotator cuff tear Shoulder impingement Subacromial bursitis Winged scapula elbow Cubitus valgus Cubitus varus hand Boutonniere deformity Mallet finger Swan neck deformity Wrist drop Lower limb hip Coxa valga Coxa vara Protrusio acetabuli Slipped capital femoral epiphysis leg Angular limb deformity Unequal leg length knee Chondromalacia patellae Genu recurvatum Luxating patella Patella alta Patella baja Patellofemoral pain syndrome foot Bunion (hallux valgus) Club foot Flat feet Foot drop Hallux varus Hallux rigidus Hammer toe Head and neck Cauliflower ear Torticollis General terms Joint stiffness Contracture Ligamentous laxity Abnormal angulation Valgus deformity/Varus deformity Bone malrotation Joint dislocation

v t e Soft tissue disorders Capsular joint Synoviopathy Synovitis/Tenosynovitis Calcific tendinitis Stenosing tenosynovitis (Trigger finger) De Quervain syndrome Transient synovitis Ganglion cyst osteochondromatosis Synovial osteochondromatosis Plica syndrome villonodular synovitis Tenosynovial giant cell tumor Bursopathy Bursitis Olecranon Prepatellar Trochanteric Subacromial Achilles Retrocalcaneal Ischial Iliopsoas Synovial cyst Baker's cyst Calcific bursitis Noncapsular joint Symptoms Ligamentous laxity Hypermobility Enthesopathy/ Enthesitis/ Tendinopathy upper limb Adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder Shoulder impingement syndrome Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration Rotator cuff tear Golfer's elbow Tennis elbow lower limb Iliotibial band syndrome Patellar tendinitis Achilles tendinitis Calcaneal spur Metatarsalgia Bone spur other/general: Tendinitis/Tendinosis Nonjoint Fasciopathy Fasciitis: Plantar Nodular Necrotizing Eosinophilic Fibromatosis/contracture Dupuytren's contracture Plantar fibromatosis Aggressive fibromatosis Knuckle pads

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ligamentous laxity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligamentous_laxity) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligamentous_laxity?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.