Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a major global occupational health concern, causing substantial pain, disability, and economic burden. They affect muscles, tendons, nerves, joints, and related structures, arising from or being aggravated by workplace factors. This narrative mini-review synthesizes evidence from targeted searches of peer-reviewed occupational health and ergonomics literature, focusing on epidemiological studies, systematic reviews, and recent advances in risk assessment. The review summarizes current knowledge on the prevalence and risk factors of WMSDs across sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, construction, transport, and office work, where the lower back, neck, shoulders, and upper limbs are most frequently affected. Physical risk factors include repetitive motion, forceful exertion, awkward postures, prolonged static positions, and vibration exposure, while psychosocial factors such as high job demands, low control, inadequate support, and job dissatisfaction further increase risk. Individual characteristics, including age, gender, body mass index, and genetics, also influence susceptibility and highlight the need for tailored prevention, for example, interventions that accommodate women’s double work burden and age-sensitive strategies that help older workers maintain functional capacity. Advances in biomechanical modeling, wearable sensors, and multifactorial risk assessment now allow more precise exposure quantification and earlier detection of WMSD risk. Effective prevention requires multidisciplinary strategies that combine ergonomic workplace redesign, worker training, organizational policies addressing psychosocial risks, health promotion, and early clinical intervention. By consolidating epidemiological evidence, key risk factors, and prevention approaches from an occupational health perspective, this review supports evidence-informed prevention and underscores that coordinated occupational health policies and participatory workplace practices are essential to achieve sustainable reductions in the global burden of WMSDs.

Background: The aim of the study was to conduct a literature review within the fields of sports and orthopedic rehabilitation to evaluate the efficacy of interventions incorporating electromyographic feedback (EMG FB) training compared to same interventions without EMG FB. Methods: A systematic search of three databases (PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science) was conducted until February 2023, without limitation on the publication date. The search strategy adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria and data extraction protocol were established a priori. The methodological quality of the included primary studies was assessed by using the PEDro scale. Results: A total of ten randomized controlled trials (RCTs; 2 in sports and 8 in orthopedic rehabilitation) involving 397 participants were included. The outcomes were categorized into three areas: 1) muscle strength and activation, 2) pain perception, and 3) functionality and joint range of motion. The quality of these studies ranges from 5 to 8 on the PEDro scale. The findings demonstrate both significant and non-significant differences between the interventions with and without EMG FB across all categories. The calculated effect sizes vary from small to large. Discussion: This review suggests that EMG FB training can be effective to enhance muscle strength, muscle control, pain reduction, functionality, and joint range of motion. The studies provide evidence for the varying impacts of EMG FB training, demonstrating both significant and non-significant outcomes across different populations and intervention types. These differences within the findings not only highlight the potential of EMG FB, but also emphasize the need for further research to identify the conditions and populations in which EMG FB is most effective.

Aim: Osteoporosis (OP) is caused by imbalanced bone remodelling homeostasis. It is highly prevalent, especially in post-menopausal women, resulting in high risk of fracture and morbidity. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are osteoblast progenitors, and orchestrate the function of surrounding cells including osteoblasts. Understanding MSC phenotype and function is therefore critical in discerning the aetiology of OP and developing superior therapies. Currently, adequate long-term therapeutic strategies are not available. Methods: Bioinformatic analysis of ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq) data revealed differential expression of genes primarily related to osteogenic differentiation and proliferation, followed by confirmatory in vitro analysis. Results: This study identified novel and previously proposed targets for therapeutic intervention in OP. Functional assessment demonstrated reduced MSC number and osteogenic capacity associated with OP. Proliferation was not affected but OP was unexpectedly associated with a reduction in MSC adipogenic differentiation capacity, correlating with donor age. Conclusions: These data indicate specific targets for further studies of future treatments for OP, including the assessment of modified MSCs as therapeutics. Advances in this area may contribute to reducing fracture-associated morbidity and mortality, and improving quality of life for the 200 million people living with OP globally.