Articular and soft tissue abnormalities in a "normal" population.

One hundred twenty-three medical students underwent comprehensive locomotor physical examinations as part of their sophomore physical diagnosis course. Sixty-nine point one per cent of subjects were found to have between 1 and 7 separate congenital, developmental, post-traumatic, inflammatory or idiopathic abnormalities. More than 30 different types of abnormalities were noted. The data presented suggest a high prevalence of locomotor abnormalities in a "normal" population, and supports the need for history and physical examinations in the selection of control subjects for clinical studies.