Hypermobility and Injury Among Instrumental Musicians: A Scoping Review

Objective

Up to 86% of musicians experience playing-related musculoskeletal problems (PRMPs). Joint hypermobility (JH), which affects up to 34% of the population, may be a risk factor for such injuries, however, research on this topic is limited. The aims in this scoping review are to: (1) map information in existing literature on the relationship between JH and PRMPs in instrumental musicians, (2) identify subpopulations at risk of JH-related injuries, and (3) map supportive strategies used to accommodate hypermobile instrumentalists.

Design

The review was conducted following JBI methodology and adapted for a master’s thesis. Searches were performed in MEDLINE, Music Index, SPORTDiscus, and gray literature databases, using keywords related to “instrumental musicians” and “hypermobility,” resulting in 1570 sources.

Results

Of 165 relevant sources, 79 included original data on hypermobility, with only 30 primarily focused on JH. Most sources were published among populations primarily of European descent and adults ages 18-40 in professional or post-secondary classical settings. Research gaps identified include studies addressing hormonal influences on joint laxity, non-European populations, children, amateur musicians, and neurodivergent individuals. Sources containing original JH information consisted of 45% empirical studies (mostly prevalence) and 55% anecdotal reports. In 72% of all sources, authors concluded JH negatively impacts musicians.

Conclusions

Inconsistent results among empirical studies and incongruences between results and anecdotal evidence are indicative of methodological weaknesses. Limitations in measurement tools were noted, affecting study design and data interpretation. Future researchers should conduct qualitative research to capture experiences of hypermobile musicians to inform study design. They should expand quantitative methods, particularly longitudinal and randomized controlled trials, and incorporate sensitive, joint-specific assessments. Training for healthcare professionals, musicians, and music teachers should include JH and health impacts on musicians to ensure accurate research design and interpretation.

Registratio

The scoping review protocol ( https://osf.io/c5rzn ) was previously registered and published on the Open Science Framework (OSF) along with all official documents, search query strings, and raw data ( https://osf.io/6jynk/ ).

STRENTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY

• This is the first review focused on instrumental musicians with joint hypermobility.

• A thorough and detailed search strategy was developed with the assistance of expert research librarians and the review was conducted in accordance with the JBI scoping review manual and PRISMA-Scr guidelines, except where noted.

• The review was conducted as a master’s thesis requirement for Radford University. Due to time and resource constraints, only one reviewer was involved in data extraction and analysis with oversight of a research committee.

• As is standard with scoping reviews, sources were not evaluated for quality, therefore, conclusions cannot be generalized.