Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) involve muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs. These conditions can be triggered by both the work environment and the type of work performed, factors that, in some cases, can also exacerbate pre-existing conditions. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the impact that different work-related activities have on the musculoskeletal system. Methods: A global search of publications was conducted using the following international bibliographic web databases: PubMed and Web of Science. The search strategies combined terms for musculoskeletal disorders and workers. In addition, a meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the prevalence of MSDs within the healthcare sector. Results: A total of 10,805 non-duplicated articles were identified, and finally, 32 studies were reviewed in this article. Once the literature search was completed, occupational figures were categorized into healthcare, farming, industrial, and computer sectors. In the healthcare sector, the prevalence estimate for degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine was 21% (497 out of 2547 physicians and dentists) (95% CI, 17–26%), while for osteoarthritis of the hand, it was 37% (382 out of 1013 dentists) (95% CI, 23–51%). Conclusions: Musculoskeletal disorders significantly impair workers’ quality of life, especially in healthcare sector. These conditions are also associated with high costs for employers, such as absenteeism, lost productivity, and increased costs for healthcare, disability, and workers’ compensation.

Background: Osteosarcopenia is a recently identified condition caused by the coexistence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia that affects the frail elderly population, leading to an increased risk of falls and fractures. Given the recent socio-economic interest associated with osteosarcopenia, the aim of this meta-analysis is to provide an overview of the factors potentially involved in its pathogenesis, assessing its population type, prevalence, and associated variables. Methods: A comprehensive systematic search for relevant studies, published from 2015 to 2020, was performed by using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. We analysed the variables of age, vitamin D, handgrip, and T-score in four different groups: healthy, osteopenic–osteoporotic, sarcopenic, and osteosarcopenic. Results: A total of 6504 patients from 16 studies were included in the final meta-analysis. The analysis of the individual variables reveals a statistically significant correlation between the handgrip test data and T-score (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The correlation between T-score values and handgrip strength suggests a new potential parameter in the development of predictive models that could be used in clinical practice, highlighting its importance for the diagnosis of osteosarcopenia.

Background/Objectives: Osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are age-related musculoskeletal disorders with a high socio-health burden, affecting both healthcare systems and individuals’ quality of life. Both conditions are generally accompanied by a concomitant decline in muscle mass and strength, referred to as sarcopenia. In this context, tensiomyography emerges as a novel, non-invasive potential diagnostic strategy for assessing muscle quality, as this parameter influences the progression of both conditions. Methods: Histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses were performed on vastus lateralis muscle tissue obtained from patients undergoing surgery for femoral fracture affected by osteoporosis or osteopenia, patients operated for hip osteoarthritis, and patients undergoing hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis, concomitantly affected by osteoporosis or osteopenia. In addition, muscle function was assessed in these patients using tensiomyographic analysis. Results: In osteoarthritic, osteoporotic, and osteopenic patients, a reduction in muscle quality and function was observed compared with the other two experimental groups, indicating an unfavorable effect of the coexistence of the two conditions on the muscular component. Furthermore, contraction time (Tc) measured by tensiomyography was negatively correlated with lumbar spine bone mineral density values and positively correlated with the percentage of type II muscle fibers. Conclusions: This study highlights how tensiomyography may represent a valuable non-invasive diagnostic strategy for assessing muscle status in osteoporotic and osteoarthritic patients, as it is able to detect muscle alterations that parallel the worsening of bone status and that cannot be inferred from simple biopsy analysis. Thus, tensiomyography could be considered a practical adjunct tool in the clinical assessment of musculoskeletal frailty.