Effects of Hormonal Changes Throughout the Menstrual Cycle on Joint Laxity in Females

The objective of this study was to examine the levels of estrogens, progesterone, LH, FSH, estradiol and testosterone and their relation to ACL laxity throughout the menstrual cycle. Subjects were tested at the onset of menses, the first day of ovulation (days 8–17) and day 23 at the mid-luteal phase. A Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient revealed that there were no statistically significant relationships between laxity measurements, of the KT-2000 or radiographic comparisons, and elevated concentrations of any of the hormones. LH was observed in the follicular phase, at the onset of menses, to have a negative correlation with only the radiographic reading (r = −.628, p = .029). We concluded that there was no relationship between concentrations of estrogens, progesterone, LH, FSH, estradiol or testosterone and ACL laxity. Both the KT-2000 and radiographic measurements have high intra-method reliabilities, but inter-method reliability is low.