FIGURE 1.

Phenotypic presentation of joint hypermobility. As a useful illustration, joint hypermobility can be compared with “the tip of an iceberg” that is visible above the water surface, as it can be a striking feature that stands out during clinical assessment. Whereas most individuals remain asymptomatic (iceberg on the left), some patients develop symptoms (iceberg on the right). If a hypermobile patient demonstrates orthopedic deformities and skin alterations and reports multiple signs of tissue fragility, ruling out a heritable connective tissue disorder is important (right part of the right iceberg). Color online-figure is available at http://www.jclinrheum.com.