Work through the five maneuvers of the Beighton hypermobility screening test and get your 0–9 score with age-adjusted interpretation. Each positive finding is 1 point.
Answer honestly for each joint. Bilateral maneuvers score 1 point per side; the trunk bend is 1 point total.
| Age group | Cutoff (2017) | Meaning |
|---|
| Pre-puberty children & adolescents | ≥ 6 / 9 | Meets screening criterion for generalised joint hypermobility |
| Adults, puberty to age 50 | ≥ 5 / 9 | Meets screening criterion for generalised joint hypermobility |
| Adults over age 50 | ≥ 4 / 9 | Meets screening criterion for generalised joint hypermobility |
Honest nuance: cutoffs have varied over time. Beighton's original 1973 paper used ≥ 5 for everyone; the older 1998 Brighton criteria used ≥ 4 as a major criterion for benign joint hypermobility syndrome. The age-adjusted cutoffs above (2017 International Consortium, used in the 2017 hEDS criteria) are the current standard this tool applies. Also note: if your score is exactly one point below the cutoff and at least 2 of the 5 Hakim–Grahame questionnaire items are positive, generalised joint hypermobility may still be diagnosed — ask a clinician.
The Beighton score is one component of the broader Brighton criteria (1998) for benign joint hypermobility syndrome, which combine the Beighton score with symptoms (e.g. arthralgia in multiple joints) and systemic features (skin, dislocations, marfanoid habitus). A Beighton score alone — high or low — is not a diagnosis under any criteria set; it is a screening measurement that feeds into clinical assessment.
What is the Beighton score?
The Beighton score is a 9-point screening test for generalised joint hypermobility, introduced by Beighton, Solomon and Soskolne in 1973. It uses five physical maneuvers — four assessed on both sides of the body and one single test — to estimate how far key joints move beyond their normal range. It is a screening aid, not a diagnosis.
What are the five Beighton maneuvers and how is each scored?
One point is given for each positive finding: (1) little finger bends back beyond 90 degrees at the knuckle — 1 point per hand, max 2; (2) thumb can be pressed to touch the forearm — 1 point per hand, max 2; (3) elbow straightens beyond 10 degrees past straight — 1 point per elbow, max 2; (4) knee straightens beyond 10 degrees past straight — 1 point per knee, max 2; (5) bending forward with straight knees, both palms rest flat on the floor — 1 point total, not per side. Maximum score: 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 9.
What Beighton score counts as hypermobile?
The current age-adjusted cutoffs (2017 International Consortium on the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes) are: 6 or more out of 9 for pre-puberty children and adolescents, 5 or more for adults from puberty to age 50, and 4 or more for adults over 50 — because joint laxity naturally decreases with age. For context: Beighton's original 1973 cutoff was 5 for everyone, and the older 1998 Brighton criteria used 4 as a major criterion.
Can you show a worked scoring example?
Suppose both little fingers bend beyond 90 degrees (2 points), both thumbs touch the forearms (2 points), and the palms rest flat on the floor (1 point), with elbows and knees normal (0 points). Total: 2 + 2 + 1 = 5 out of 9. For an adult aged 30, the cutoff is 5, so a score of 5 meets the screening threshold; for a pre-puberty child, the cutoff is 6, so the same score of 5 would not meet it.
Is a high Beighton score a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?
No. A Beighton score measures joint mobility only. A diagnosis of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome requires meeting three full clinical criteria (generalised hypermobility, systemic features or family history, and exclusion of other conditions), assessed by a qualified clinician. A high score simply suggests further evaluation may be worthwhile.
Does joint hypermobility change with age?
Yes. Joints generally become less lax with age, which is why the interpretation cutoffs are age-adjusted: a score that is unremarkable in a child can be significant in an older adult. The 2017 cutoffs reflect this — 6 for pre-puberty/adolescents, 5 up to age 50, 4 above 50.
What are the limitations of the Beighton score?
It examines only five joint groups, so it can miss hypermobility elsewhere; it is all-or-nothing per joint, so it cannot grade severity; and it says nothing about symptoms such as pain, dislocations, fatigue, or skin and tissue features. Two people with the same score can have very different clinical pictures.
What is the 5-point hypermobility questionnaire?
The Hakim and Grahame 5-point questionnaire asks about history: hands flat on the floor, thumb to forearm, contortion tricks or splits as a child, repeated shoulder or kneecap dislocations, and considering yourself double-jointed. Under the 2017 criteria, if your Beighton score is exactly one point below the cutoff and at least 2 of these 5 items are positive, generalised joint hypermobility may still be diagnosed.
Can children take the Beighton test?
Yes — the score is commonly used in children, but the cutoff is higher: 6 or more out of 9 for pre-puberty children and adolescents, since children are naturally more flexible. Testing should ideally be done or reviewed by a clinician, and results interpreted in the context of the child's symptoms and development.
I scored at or above the cutoff — what should I do?
Treat it as a prompt for a professional conversation, not a diagnosis. Consider discussing the result with a doctor, rheumatologist, or physiotherapist — especially if you have joint pain, frequent sprains or dislocations, unusual fatigue, or skin that bruises or stretches easily. Bringing your item-by-item results (for example, 5/9 with thumbs 2/2 and palms 1/1) helps the clinician.