This thesis looks at changes in joint laxity
associated with the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and
the menopause and the potential contribution of
female hormones to that laxity.
Four experiments were designed looking at mobility in
a peripheral joint. Women with a normal menstrual
cycle, pregnant women, breast feeding women, and
women after the menopause, were all examined.
The results of the menstrual cycle study showed that
every subject underwent an increase in laxity as she
progressed throughout the cycle, and that change was
particularly significant in the first phase of the
cycle. The...