The bone and joint decade. strategies to reduce the burden of disease: the Bone and Joint Monitor Project.

Musculoskeletal conditions are the major cause of morbidity and substantially influence health and quality of life, with enormous costs to health systems. This article describes the Bone and Joint Monitor Project, whose objective is to provide evidence to enable development of policies and strategies to improve the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, relevant to their geographic and socioeconomic settings. By identifying the burden of disease and establishing strategies that can be implemented in routine clinical practice, musculoskeletal conditions can be managed more effectively and progress can be demonstrated through the establishment of routine health monitoring. With the interventions currently available, it is feasible that all people will be afforded the right to pain control, mobility, and independence.