New Advances in Musculoskeletal Disorders

Dear Colleagues,

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the leading contributor to disability worldwide, with lower back pain being the single leading cause of disability across 160 countries. Disability associated with MSDs has been increasing, and it is projected to rapidly increase in the coming decades due to population increase and aging. MSDs are considered work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting disorders or significantly aggravated a pre-existing disorder. In the USA, 272,780 WMSD cases were reported in 2018, with the incidence rate of 27.2 per 10,000 full-time workers, accounting for approximately 30% of all occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work. Therefore, it is crucial to survey the prevalence and risk factors of WMSDs and to develop preventive measures to reduce WMSDs.

This Topic focuses on updating our knowledge concerning WMSDs. New research papers, reviews, case studies and any WMSDs relevant studies are also welcome to this Topic. The major themes of which are as follows:

• Prevalence of WMSDs by industry and country;
• Symptoms by body parts;
• Smart assessment tools and their applications in industry;
• Interventions and their effects;
• Relationships between risk factors and specific WMSDs;
• Diagnosis methods;
• Effects of individual differences and psychosocial, environmental, and organizational factors on WMSDs.

Prof. Dr. Dohyung Kee
Prof. Dr. Inseok Lee
Topic Editors