Are JHS and EDS hypermobile type the same disease?
The JHS has a familial predisposition and shows overlap with several HCTDs, most notably EDS hypermobile type. It is characterized by varying degrees of joint laxity without instability or disability and is an important cause of periarticular complaints. Arthralgias (hands, knees, and hips), knee effusions from patellar malalignment from laxity, daily headache from cervical spine hypermobility, and frequent ankle or wrist sprains are common. In addition to the clinical manifestations listed in the Brighton criteria, mitral valve prolapse and osteopenia (RR 1.8x) have been associated with JHS as well. Chronic fatigue, pain amplification (fibromyalgia-like), and dysautonomia have been reported more frequently in patients with JHS and EDS. The connective tissue defects responsible for JHS and EDS are unknown and hence the two cannot clearly be separated on a genetic basis. As such, some experts have suggested that JHS and EDS hypermobile type may represent a continuum.
