Prevalence and unique patterns of lower limb hypermobility in elite ballet dancers

Objectives: Determine the prevalence of lower limb hypermobility in elite dancers and secondarily to describe the patterns of mobility.

Design: Cross sectional.

Setting: Self-report questionnaires and physical assessments were undertaken at a tertiary dance institution and a professional ballet company.

Participants: Fifty-seven pre-professional and 29 professional ballet dancers (21±4years, 64% female, mean 13.7years training) were recruited.

Main outcome measures: Lower Limb Assessment Score (LLAS) was used to assess hypermobility. Prevalence was determined by descriptive statistics, between-leg and -group comparisons were analysed using the chi-square statistic and the pattern of mobility by cluster analyses.

Results: The right leg was significantly more hypermobile than the left for the whole cohort (44% vs 40% meeting ≥7/12 for the LLAS; LLAS mean/12(SD): right:5.0(2.4) and 7.6(1.9); left:4.8(2.1) and 6.7(2.0) in pre-professionals and professionals respectively (p = 0.02)). Subtalar pronation (p < 0.001) and hip abduction/external rotation (left:p = 0.01; right:p < 0.001) were significantly more hypermobile bilaterally in professionals. Three hypermobility profiles on the left and four on the right lower limb were identified.

Conclusions: This paper presents unique lower limb hypermobility profiles identified in elite dancers.