The Bone and Joint Connection

  Enjoy life in good health! The first decade of the twenty-first century was the decade of bones and joints. It turns out that the last decade of the twentieth century, the nineties, was the decade of the brain. During this decade, new knowledge of complex neurological functions was gained, awareness of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Zoster infection was improved, and hope for prevention and treatment was enhanced.  In April 1998, inspired by the neuroscience achievements of the Decade of the Brain, more than fifty international organizations met in the Swedish city of Lund to propose the next decade as the Decade of Bones and Joints. The main goal was to mobilize people to work on improving the quality of life of patients with bone and joint diseases, and to improve diagnosis and treatment in this area through important breakthroughs in basic and clinical research.  The meeting was attended by medical clinical organizations as well as patient organizations; research units and medical journals, etc. The participants agreed that bone and joint disorders account for 1/5 of all patients with disabilities and are one of the most common causes of long-term pain, with hundreds of millions of people suffering from them worldwide. For example, joint pain accounts for 1/2 of all people over 65 years of age, and low back pain is the second most common condition. Fractures due to bone fragility are on the rise, with 40% of women over 50 suffering from complications of osteoporosis.  It is estimated that over the next decade, in developing countries, severe car accidents and war injuries will cost more than 25% of health expenditures on trauma-related consumption. For children, too, disability and deformity will continue to rob children of normal development and lifelong well-being.  ”The Decade of Bones and Joints focuses on raising awareness of musculoskeletal disorders, especially joint disease, osteoporosis, spinal disorders, and trauma. This can only be achieved through the efforts of society as a whole, and cannot be accomplished by any single organization or group. The Decade of Bone and Joint will even give confidence and encouragement to many patients with injuries and diseases, who will be able to get rid of the disease, greatly improve the quality of life and enjoy life in a healthy way.  As orthopedic surgeons, we have a heavy burden on our shoulders, and we have a direct and inescapable responsibility for the “Decade of Bone and Joint”. Let’s participate in it, give full play to our wisdom and strength, and dedicate ourselves to the “Decade of Bone and Joint”.