This calculator is for general information and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace the judgment of a doctor, nurse or pharmacist who knows the full clinical picture.
The Beighton score is the most widely used screening test for generalized joint hypermobility, meaning joints that move beyond the usual range. Peter Beighton and colleagues modified an earlier system by Carter and Wilkinson in 1973. It takes a minute and needs no equipment.
The nine points
| Test | Points |
|---|---|
| Little finger bends back beyond 90°, left and right | 1 + 1 |
| Thumb can be bent down to touch the forearm, left and right | 1 + 1 |
| Elbow hyperextends more than 10°, left and right | 1 + 1 |
| Knee hyperextends more than 10°, left and right | 1 + 1 |
| Palms flat on the floor with knees straight | 1 |
The total runs from 0 to 9.
Cutoffs by age
Mobility decreases with age, so the 2017 international criteria for hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome use different cutoffs:
| Age | Generalized hypermobility |
|---|---|
| Children before puberty | 6 or more |
| From puberty to age 50 | 5 or more |
| Over 50 | 4 or more |
Some clinics still use a single cutoff of 4 or 5 for adults. Women and people of Asian or African descent are more mobile on average, which is one reason why thresholds remain debated.
Hypermobility is not a disease
Many hypermobile people have no symptoms; flexibility can even help in dance, gymnastics or music. A high score matters when it comes with joint pain, frequent sprains or dislocations, or features of a connective tissue disorder. Diagnoses such as hypermobility spectrum disorder or hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome need a full clinical assessment, including skin, family history and other criteria; the Beighton score is only one part.
Example
An adult who scores both little fingers (2), both thumbs (2) and palms flat on the floor (1) totals 5, at the cutoff for generalized hypermobility between puberty and age 50.
Limits
Warm-up, training and the examiner’s technique change the result, and a goniometer gives more reliable angles than the eye. The score tests only a few joints and misses hypermobility of the shoulders, hips, spine or feet.