Definition of "hyperextension" [hyperextension]

• Extension of a bodily joint beyond its normal range of motion. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "A hyperextension is the same as a sprain - "hyperextension" refers to the mechanism of the injury - bending the joint in a direction that it isn't intended to go, usually due to a hard fall."
• "They also protect against hyperextension, which is a common cause of major knee ligament injuries."
• "Also, the unnatural flips and back-arching of gymnastics produce "hyperextension" of the youthful spine that can result in chronic lower-back pain and fractures of the small bones supporting the vertebrae."