Musculoskeletal disorders and diseases are the leading cause of disability in the United States and account for more that one-half of all chronic conditions in people over 50 years of age in developed countries. The economic impact of these conditions is also staggering: in 2004 the sum of the direct expenditures in health care costs and the indirect expenditures in lost wages has been estimated to be $849 billion dollars, or 7.7% of the national gross domestic product.

The Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States (BMUS) presents a compelling argument for greater understanding and expanding research.

BMUS has been developed by a coalition of professional organizations, all part of the Bone and Joint Decade, concerned with musculoskeletal health that have collaborated to tabulate recent data on the burden of musculoskeletal diseases to educate health care professionals, policy makers and the public.

Chapter 1 provides an overview. Chapters 2-8 represent specific condition areas and contain a summary of the data, graphs and tables. Chapter 9 describes healthcare utilization for musculoskeletal conditions, as well as costs, both direct and indirect, with graphs and tables.

To interview authors and other experts in the subject matter of each chapter, email usbjd@usbjd.org.

The Highlights section of this web site provide snapshot views covering the overall burden, workplace-related information, aging information, women’s issues, and more.

Bone and Joint Decade

The Bone and Joint Decade is an international collaborative movement sanctioned by the United Nations/World Health Organization and working to improve the quality of life for people with musculoskeletal conditions and to advance the understanding, prevention and treatment of these conditions.

The goal of the United States Bone and Joint Decade is to improve bone and joint health by enhancing collaborative efforts among individuals and organizations in order to raise awareness of the growing burden of musculoskeletal disorders on society, to promote wellness and prevent musculoskeletal disease, and to advance research that will lead to improvements in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

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