The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery

Joseph A. Buckwalter, M.D., Savio L.-Y. Woo, Ph.D., Victor M. Goldberg, M.D., Evan C. Hadley, M.D., Frank Booth, Ph.D., Theodore R. Oegema, Ph.D. and David R. Eyre, Ph.D.


The available information cannot explain why stiffness and weakness increase with age, but new observations have advanced the understanding of age-related changes in the tissues and of how these changes may contribute to stiffness and weakness. The present review summarizes the current concepts of the changes in musculoskeletal function that occur with age; the general mechanisms of age-related changes in skeletal muscles; articular cartilage; intervertebral discs, tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules; and interventions that may delay or reverse these changes. Although the primary concerns are the changes in composition, structure, and function of the musculoskeletal tissue that occur after skeletal maturity, changes that occur during skeletal maturation are also discussed.