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Aging and musculoskeletal health

Guest Editors

Chun Man Lawrence Lau, FRCSEd, FHKAM, PhD The University of Hong Kong, China
Caroline E. Wyers, PhD, VieCuri Medical Center, The Netherlands


BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders called for submissions to our Collection on Aging and musculoskeletal health. This Collection sought to advance our understanding of the complex interplay between aging and musculoskeletal health, with a focus on elucidating mechanisms, identifying risk factors, and developing strategies to optimize musculoskeletal outcomes in older adults.

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Heath & Well-being, and SDG #10: Reduced Inequalities.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Chun Man Lawrence Lau, FRCSEd, FHKAM, PhD, University of Hong Kong, China

Dr Lawrence Lau graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has undergone further postgraduate research study with special interest in arthritis and joint replacement and was awarded Doctor of Philosophy (PhD in Orthopaedics and Traumatology). He joined the University of Hong Kong as a Clinical Assistant Professor. An active surgeon and researcher, he has been invited to be Hong Kong Orthopedics Association Ambassador to discuss his arthroplasty research in Singapore Orthopedics Association and Japanese Orthopedics Association.


Caroline E. Wyers, PhD, VieCuri Medical Center, The Netherlands

Dr Caroline Wyers, PhD, is a senior researcher - epidemiologist at the Center for Metabolic Bone Diseases within the Department of Internal Medicine at the VieCuri Medical Center and Maastricht University, Netherlands. Her research interests include the epidemiology of fractures, falls, osteoporosis, and the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of secondary fracture prevention at the Fracture Liaison Service. Furthermore, Dr Wyers is also involved in clinical research on the application of high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT to assess bone quality in patients with fractures, rare bone diseases, and fracture healing.
 

About the Collection

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders called for submissions to our Collection on Aging and musculoskeletal health. This Collection sought to advance our understanding of the complex interplay between aging and musculoskeletal health, with a focus on elucidating mechanisms, identifying risk factors, and developing strategies to optimize musculoskeletal outcomes in older adults.

Aging is accompanied by a multitude of changes in the musculoskeletal system, including alterations in bone density, muscle mass and strength, joint structure, and connective tissue integrity. These changes contribute to the development of various musculoskeletal disorders, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, and fragility fractures, which significantly impact the health and quality of life of older individuals.

This Collection aimed to encompass a broad spectrum of research topics related to aging and musculoskeletal health, including but not limited to:

  • Epidemiology and natural history of musculoskeletal disorders in older adults.
  • Mechanisms underlying age-related changes in bone, muscle, and joint tissues.
  • Identification of biomarkers for early detection and prognostication of musculoskeletal disorders.
  • Evaluation of novel diagnostic tools and imaging techniques for assessing musculoskeletal health in aging populations.
  • Exploration of non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions to prevent or manage musculoskeletal disorders in older adults.
  • Implementation of multidisciplinary approaches to optimize musculoskeletal health and function in the elderly.
  • Health economics and outcomes research related to the burden of musculoskeletal disorders in aging populations.

We invited researchers, clinicians, and scholars from diverse disciplines to contribute original research and perspectives to this Collection. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, we aspired to advance the field of geriatric musculoskeletal medicine and ultimately improve the health outcomes of older adults worldwide.

Together, let us strive to unravel the complexities of aging and musculoskeletal health, and pave the way for innovative solutions to promote healthy aging and enhance musculoskeletal well-being.

Image credit: goodluz / stock.adobe.com

  1. The burden of low back pain in the global working-age population (WAP) is substantial and exhibits unique characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate global, regional, and national trends in low back pain pr...

    Authors: Yao-kan Zhang, Jia-xuan Wang, Yi-zhou Ge, Ze-bin Wang and Feng Chang
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2025 26:441
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. The rise in the adoption of outpatient arthroplasty has been attributed to its cost-effectiveness, although safety concerns persist. In this meta-analysis, we compare inpatient and outpatient joint arthroplast...

    Authors: Nikhil Ponugoti and Henry Magill
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2025 26:349
    Content type: Systematic Review Published on:

  3. Orthogeriatric hospital care is recommended for hip fra cture patients, but differentiated hospital care has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to describe physical performance and health-related qu...

    Authors: Eirik Solheim Salvesen, Kristin Taraldsen, Greger Lønne, Stian Lydersen, Sarah Elizabeth Lamb, Kjersti Opdal, Ingvild Saltvedt and Lars Gunnar Johnsen
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2025 26:184
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Current guidelines for osteoporosis diagnosis do not recommend forearm dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as a standard tool, except in specific cases. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates...

    Authors: Mario Virgilio Papa, Chiara Ceolin, Cristina Simonato, Giulia Termini, Federica Vilona, Alessandro Ruggiero, Anna Bertocco, Chiara Curreri, Rocco Talomo, Alessandra Coin, Giuseppe Sergi and Marina De Rui
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2025 26:151
    Content type: Systematic Review Published on:

  5. Thoracic hyperkyphosis (HK), common in older adults, has been linked to impairments in physical function, mobility, balance, gait, and falls. Our pilot study used a novel 4-week manual therapy and exercise int...

    Authors: L. C. Hughes, A. L. Ellis, H. L. Rogers, M. Hadley and R. V. Galloway
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2025 26:136
    Content type: Research Published on:

  6. Despite advancements in prosthetic designs and surgical techniques, patellar dislocation remains a rare but significant complication following total knee arthroplasty, with an incidence ranging between 0.15% a...

    Authors: Jung-Hsiu Chang, Chih-Hui Chen and Yi-An Li
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2025 26:12
    Content type: Case Report Published on:

  7. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on healthcare systems and the general population. However, it remains unclear to what extent these major societal changes have had an impact on the management of ...

    Authors: Shinya Tanaka, Yusuke Osawa, Yasuhiko Takegami, Nobuyuki Okui, Ken-ichi Yamauchi, Yoshiki Aoki and Shiro Imagama
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:1006
    Content type: Research Published on:

  8. To investigate the clinical significance of high intensity signals in interspinous ligaments at the affected segment in degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS), as well as to determine the most effective d...

    Authors: Jiang Jiang, Min Chen, Ding-an Huang, Jun-Jie Luo, Jian-bang Han, Ming Hu and Ying-feng Wang
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:949
    Content type: Research Published on:

  9. The outcomes of surgical and conservative treatment in elderly patients with cervical spinal cord injury without fracture and dislocation (CSCIWFD) were evaluated over medium- and long-term follow-up periods a...

    Authors: Ningning Feng, Luchun Xu, Xing Yu, Jianbin Guan, He Zhao, Wenhao Li, Ziye Qiu and Guozheng Jiang
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:921
    Content type: Research Published on:

  10. The present study aimed to compare the outcomes of simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (simBTKA) and staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty (stgBTKA) across different age groups, with a specific f...

    Authors: Mustafa Yalin, Hüseyin Yildiz, Mehmet Kaya and Fatih Golgelioglu
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:892
    Content type: Research Published on:

  11. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is a risk factor for poorer pain-related outcomes. Further, the neighborhood environments of disadvantaged communities can create a milieu of increased stress and deprivation t...

    Authors: Jessica Peoples, Jared J. Tanner, Emily J. Bartley, Lisa H. Domenico, Cesar E. Gonzalez, Josue S. Cardoso, Catalina Lopez-Quintero, Elizabeth A. Reynolds Losin, Roland Staud, Burel R. Goodin, Roger B. Fillingim and Ellen L. Terry
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:887
    Content type: Research Published on:

  12. The risk of falls causing periprosthetic fracture has become an issue with the increase in the number of patients undergoing long-term follow-up after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and the aging of patients. Th...

    Authors: Takehiro Kawakami, Takashi Imagama, Yuta Matsuki, Tomoya Okazaki, Takehiro Kaneoka, Kazuhiro Yamazaki, Masaya Ueda and Takashi Sakai
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:881
    Content type: Research Published on:

  13. Distal radius fractures are highly prevalent among older adults. Ulnar styloid fractures frequently accompany distal radius fractures, raising concerns about treatment outcomes due to the risk of distal radiou...

    Authors: Yong Kuan Lim, Wen-Tien Wu, Cheng-Huan Peng, Ting-Kuo Yao, Chia-Ming Chang, Hao-Wen Chen, Tzai-Chiu Yu, Ing-Ho Chen, Jen-Hung Wang, Ya-Chu Chang and Kuang-Ting Yeh
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:830
    Content type: Research Published on:

  14. In recent times, the American Heart Association has updated its approach to evaluating cardiovascular health (CVH) by replacing the previous “Life’s Simple 7” with the more demanding “Life’s Essential 8” (LE8)...

    Authors: Mao-Sen Lin, Zhao-Rong Lin, Xiao-Qi Guo, Hui-Zhong Lin and Ming-Fang Ye
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:825
    Content type: Research Published on:

  15. Femoral neck fractures (FNF) are known to have significant morbidity and mortality rates. Multiple chronic conditions (MCC) are defined as the presence of two or more chronic diseases that greatly affect the q...

    Authors: Pingping Wang and Shenghua Guo
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:678
    Content type: Research Published on:

  16. This study aimed to examine whether the non-weight-bearing tunnel view X-ray is effective for short-term evaluation of medial meniscus posterior root tear (MMPRT) by assessing the X-ray characteristics at the ...

    Authors: Hiroki Okamura, Hiroki Ishikawa, Takuya Ohno, Kei Nagasaki, Shogo Fujita, Shigeo Yamakami, Shota Yamamoto and Yoshifumi Kudo
    Citation: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2024 25:628
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Aging and musculoskeletal health" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process  and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.