Fibromyalgia, hypermobility, and breast implants

Objective. To examine possible relationships among fibromyalgia (FM, American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria), hypermobility, and breast implants. Methods. The medical records of 2500 female patients (ages 25-65) who had been seen for the first time in a rheumatology practice in Atlanta, GA, during 1986-92 were abstracted and analyzed. In each analysis, patients whose records indicated that the patient met the full case criteria were compared with patients whose records had no indication of the disease. Patients whose medical records indicated the clinical onset of FM prior to breast implantation were identified. Results. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed, adjusting for age, income, and the presence of connective tissue disease or rheumatoid arthritis. Significant associations were found between hypermobility and FM (adjusted OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.73, 2.80) and between hyper-mobility and breast implantation (adjusted OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.19, 2.69). No association was found between breast implantation and subsequent FM (adjusted OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.42, 1.32). Conclusion. Hypermobility was found to be independently associated with both FM and with breast implantation, but FM and breast implantation were not found to be independently associated with each other.