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Expertise in Musculoskeletal Health

Musculoskeletal Health

Advancing musculoskeletal health through research

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers, educators and clinicians are collaborating to better understand and treat a broad range of diseases and disorders of the musculoskeletal system — bones, muscles, and joints. Bone fractures, back pain, osteoporosis and other issues of bone metabolism and repair, cancer, bone marrow failure, cachexia (muscle wasting) and more are affecting increasing numbers of people, especially as the baby boom generation ages. Nearly half of all Americans have reported having a chronic musculoskeletal disorder.

In 2011, the cost of musculoskeletal diseases was estimated at $796.3 billion, or 5.7 percent of the US National Gross Domestic Product. A tremendous need exists for new approaches for treating musculoskeletal diseases.

What is musculoskeletal health?

Enroll in Clinical Trials

Faculty investigators and researchers are looking for individuals of all ages and health levels to participate in musculoskeletal-related clinical trials on the IU School of Medicine – Indianapolis campus.

Education

IU School of Medicine offers educational opportunities for individuals with an interest in researching and treating musculoskeletal health.

Research

An elite group of more than 40 IU School of Medicine researchers are working to better understand musculoskeletal disorders and develop improved treatments for them.

Clinical Trials

Successful clinical trials rely on both healthy individuals and people with a musculoskeletal disease to identify symptoms and gene markers that indicate the disease.

Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health

Diseases and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, bones, muscle and joints result in significant health costs in terms of pain and suffering, loss of work and productivity, and accelerated death. The Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health (ICMH) at IU School of Medicine’s is addressing the serious need to prevent and treat musculoskeletal disease.

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Musculoskeletal Training for Medical Students

At clinical partner facilities near campuses throughout Indiana, IU School of Medicine offers elective rotations in musculoskeletal health to enable medical students to grow their understanding and skills in bone disease, muscle and joints conditions and other aspects of the musculoskeletal system.

See all MD Electives

Musculoskeletal Training Program

The Comprehensive Musculoskeletal Training Program is administered by IU School of Medicine at the Indianapolis campus and provides PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and medical students with multidisciplinary research-oriented training in musculoskeletal biology.

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Meet the Experts

1931-White, Kenneth

Kenneth E. White, PhD

Chancellor's Professor

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4904-Econs, Michael

Michael J. Econs, MD

Distinguished Professor

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