Ligamentous Laxity

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Ligamentous laxity is a condition that can be summarised succinctly as "Loose ligaments". In a 'normal' body, ligaments are naturally tight in such a way that the joints are restricted to 'normal' movement ranges. This includes spinal posture - the ligamental supporting framework around the spine is immense, and provides a great deal of support throughout normal spinal movement. In a person with ligamentous laxity, that support is not there, resulting in the muscular system having to devote more effort to maintaining the body in a correct pose. This in turn reduces the ability of the muscular system to fine-tune and co-ordinate body movement - a person with ligamentous laxity is, certainly at a young age, more uncoordinated than his peers. If, however, musculature is developed to a higher degree, this often vanishes. Another side effect of having ligamentous laxity is that joints in general are more prone to dislocation, and, due to other reasons, bones more prone to breaking. However, these are only short-term acute problems in comparison to the long-term effects of bad posture, which are wide ranging (from pain to reflux oesophagitis due to ineffective sphincter) and should not be underestimated. Good posture is important.

Obviously, there are advantages to having stretchy ligaments, and joints that often have a wider range of movement - double jointed people almost by definition have overly lax ligaments. The trait is almost certainly genetic, and is usually something the affected person would just be aware of, rather than a serious medical condition.

One important point to remember is that tendons are not the same things as ligaments. Someone with ligamentous laxity, by definition, has loose ligaments, and the diagnosis does not require the presence of loose tendons, muscles or blood vessels, hyperlax skin or other connective tissue problems.