Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls. These are tissues that provide support in your skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, internal organs and bones. There are several types of EDS, and among them, the hypermobile type is the most common. Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is characterized by loose joints and chronic joint pain. This condition can significantly impact a person’s quality of life, affecting their mobility and overall physical function.
A recent study has shed light on the gait mechanics and muscle strength in individuals with hEDS. Gait mechanics refers to the study of human locomotion, or the way we move when we walk or run. It’s a complex process that involves many different muscles, joints, and nerves working together in harmony. Any disruption in this process can lead to altered gait mechanics, which can cause pain and other problems.
The study found that patients with hEDS walked with altered hip extensor moments. The hip extensors are a group of muscles that work together to move the hip joint. When you walk, these muscles contract and relax in a specific pattern to help propel your body forward. In patients with hEDS, this pattern is disrupted, leading to altered hip extensor moments. This means that the forces acting on the hip joint during walking are different than they should be, which can lead to pain and other problems.
In addition to altered gait mechanics, the study also found that patients with hEDS exhibited hip extensor weakness. This means that the muscles responsible for extending the hip joint were weaker than they should be. This weakness can contribute to the altered gait mechanics seen in these patients, as the hip extensors play a crucial role in walking.
The findings of this study suggest that future work should investigate the underlying mechanisms of hip extensor weakness and the corresponding effects on joint health in people with hEDS. Understanding these mechanisms could lead to better treatments for this condition, which could improve the quality of life for people with hEDS.
The study’s findings also have practical implications. For example, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals can use this information to develop targeted treatment plans for patients with hEDS. These plans could include exercises to strengthen the hip extensors, which could help improve gait mechanics and reduce pain.
In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the gait mechanics and muscle strength in patients with hEDS. It highlights the importance of the hip extensors in walking and suggests that weakness in these muscles may contribute to the altered gait mechanics seen in these patients. Future research should continue to explore these issues, with the goal of improving treatment options and quality of life for people with hEDS.
To read the full journal article, head to https://www.clinbiomech.com/article/S0268-0033(24)00042-1/fulltext?rss=yes