Orthopedic diseases are a prevalent global health issue, with an increasing incidence year by year, imposing a significant burden on the society and the healthcare system. Research into their diagnosis and treatment faces unprecedented challenges. Based on a comprehensive review of cutting-edge literature from both domestic and international sources, as well as our own clinical and research experience, the authors identified six major international challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic diseases over the next decade including osteonecrosis, bone infection, cartilage injury, refractory wound, spinal cord injury, and genetic developmental bone diseases. These diseases are generally characterized by high incidence rate, complex and unknown etiology, serious damage and limited treatment options. There is an urgent need for breakthroughs in both clinical diagnosis and treatment, as well as in basic research. In recent years, the emergence and transformation of new technologies such as organoid, artificial intelligence, brain computer interface, gene editing, and stem cell therapy are profoundly transforming the traditional approaches to the diagnosis, treatment and research of orthopedic diseases. To gain a deeper understanding and grasp of the challenges and opportunities in this field and to promote innovation and development, the authors elaborated on the difficulties, pain points as well as potential opportunities and countermeasures in the researches on the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic diseases, aiming to provide references and inspirations for clinical and scientific researchers in related fields and contribute to solutions of the six major international challenges.

Postoperative infection of internal fixation of closed fractures the lower limbs in adults represents a devastating complication, characterized by diagnostic challenges, prolonged treatment duration and high disability rates. Current management of these infections faces multiple challenges, such as difficulties in early accurate diagnosis, and various controversies about the treatment plan, leading to poor overall diagnosis and treatment results. To address these issues, based on evidence-based medicine and principles with emphasis on scientific rigor, clinical applicability and innovation, the Trauma Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Orthopedics Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Trauma Orthopedics and Polytrauma Group of the Resuscitation and Emergency Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association have collaboratively organized a panel of relevant experts to develop the Guideline for diagnosis and treatment of infection after internal fixation of closed lower limb fractures in adults ( version 2025). The guideline proposed 10 recommendations, aiming to provide a foundation for standardized diagnosis and treatment of postoperative infection in adults with closed lower limb fractures.

Thoracolumbar spine fracture often leads to severe pain, functional impairments, and neurological deficits, for which open reduction and internal fixation can effectively restore the spinal structural stability. Open decompression and reduction with internal fixation can help relieve spinal cord compression and improve spinal function in cases of concomitant cord injury. Although spinal stability can be restored through surgery, patients often face chronic pain and functional impairments postoperatively. A postoperative rehabilitation program is critical in optimizing therapeutic outcomes, reducing complications, and minimizing the risk of secondary injuries. However, current rehabilitation methods, such as physical therapy, functional training, and pain management, are confronted with problems in clinical practice, including significant variation in efficacy, poor patient adherence, and prolonged rehabilitation period. There is an urgent need for a unified rehabilitation strategy to address these problems. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Spine Health Professional Committee of the Chinese Human Health Technology Promotion Association organized experts from relevant fields to formulate Evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation treatment after internal fixation of thoracolumbar spine fracture in adults ( version 2025) by integrating evidences from clinical researches and advanced rehabilitation concepts at home and abroad. A total number of 14 recommendations concerning the rehabilitation treatment with multimodal analgesia, psychological intervention, deep vein thrombosis prevention, core muscle and extremity exercise, appropriate use of braces, early weight-bearing, device-aided rehabilitation exercise, neuroregulatory therapy, rehabilitation team were put forward, aiming to standardize the post-operative rehabilitation process following internal fixation, promote the functional recovery, and enhance patients′ quality of life.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.

Acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture (ASOTLF) can lead to chronic low back pain, kyphosis deformity, pulmonary dysfunction, loss of mobility, and even life-threatening complications. Vertebral augmentation is currently the mainstream treatment method for this condition. In 2019, the Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Trauma and the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association collaboratively led the development of Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation for acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures. Six years later, with advances in clinical diagnosis and treatment techniques as well as accumulating evidence in related fields, the 2019 guideline requires updating. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the Spinal Health Professional Committee of China Human Health Science and Technology Promotion Association, and the Minimally Invasive Orthopedics Professional Committee of Shaanxi Medical Doctor Association have organized experts in the field to develop the Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation of acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025) , based on the latest evidence-based medical researches. This guideline incorporates 3 recommendations retained from the 2019 version with updated strength of evidence, along with 12 new recommendations. It provides recommendations from six aspects of diagnosis, pain management, treatment option selection, prevention of postoperative complications, anti-osteoporosis therapy, and postoperative rehabilitation, aiming to provide a reference for standard treatment of vertebral augmentation for ASOTLF in hospitals at all levels.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of bone and joint injuries-related articles published in Chinese Journal of Trauma (hereinafter referred to as the "Journal") from 1985 to 2024. Methods:Using the VIP Chinese Journal Database and Wanfang Database as data sources, all the articles on bone and joint injuries published in the Journal from 1985 to 2024 were retrieved. Analysis covered publication volume, citation frequency, research hotspot distribution, institutional affiliations, author characteristics, and funding support over the 40-year period.Results:During the 40 years since the Journal′s establishment, a total of 3 696 articles on bone and joint injuries have been published, with a total of 34 568 citations and an average of 9.35 citations per article. In the first decade following its foundation (1985-1994), the Journal mainly focused on research hotspots such as internal fixation of fractures (20.59%, 77/374), fracture classification (14.71%, 55/374), and surgical instruments (12.57%, 47/374); In the second decade (1995-2004), the Journal mainly focused on open fractures (11.56%, 101/874), osteoarthritis (9.73%, 85/874), and biomechanics (9.50%, 83/874) and other research hotspots; Osteoporosis (25.84%, 362/1 401), minimally invasive surgery (17.63%, 247/1 401), and rehabilitation (13.63%, 191/1 401) prevailed in the third decade (2005-2014), while tissue engineering (18.62%, 195/1 047), 3D printing (16.43%, 172/1 047), and intelligent technology (13.18%, 138/1 047) emerged as focal points in the fourth decade (2015-2024). Most publications involved 1-5 institutions, though 21 articles had>10 collaborating institutions. The maximum number of collaborating institutions reached 52, all observed in consensus and guideline documents. The average number of collaborating authors per article ranged from 3 to 7, primarily from renowned medical universities and major Grade A tertiary hospitals. Funding support rates increased progressively over the years: 0.80% (1985-1994), 13.04% (1995-2004), 22.13% (2005-2014), and 53.01% (2015-2024).Conclusion:Over the 40-year period, the Journal′s bone and joint injuries-related articles have exhibited substantial growth in publication volume, shift alongside disciplinary advances, technological innovations, and clinical needs in research hotspots, changes of geographical distribution from concentration to broader expansion in institutional collaborations, significant academic influence in core authors, and consistent upward trend in funding support rates.

Orthopedic diseases are a prevalent global health issue, with an increasing incidence year by year, imposing a significant burden on the society and the healthcare system. Research into their diagnosis and treatment faces unprecedented challenges. Based on a comprehensive review of cutting-edge literature from both domestic and international sources, as well as our own clinical and research experience, the authors identified six major international challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic diseases over the next decade including osteonecrosis, bone infection, cartilage injury, refractory wound, spinal cord injury, and genetic developmental bone diseases. These diseases are generally characterized by high incidence rate, complex and unknown etiology, serious damage and limited treatment options. There is an urgent need for breakthroughs in both clinical diagnosis and treatment, as well as in basic research. In recent years, the emergence and transformation of new technologies such as organoid, artificial intelligence, brain computer interface, gene editing, and stem cell therapy are profoundly transforming the traditional approaches to the diagnosis, treatment and research of orthopedic diseases. To gain a deeper understanding and grasp of the challenges and opportunities in this field and to promote innovation and development, the authors elaborated on the difficulties, pain points as well as potential opportunities and countermeasures in the researches on the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic diseases, aiming to provide references and inspirations for clinical and scientific researchers in related fields and contribute to solutions of the six major international challenges.

Postoperative infection of internal fixation of closed fractures the lower limbs in adults represents a devastating complication, characterized by diagnostic challenges, prolonged treatment duration and high disability rates. Current management of these infections faces multiple challenges, such as difficulties in early accurate diagnosis, and various controversies about the treatment plan, leading to poor overall diagnosis and treatment results. To address these issues, based on evidence-based medicine and principles with emphasis on scientific rigor, clinical applicability and innovation, the Trauma Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Orthopedics Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Trauma Orthopedics and Polytrauma Group of the Resuscitation and Emergency Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association have collaboratively organized a panel of relevant experts to develop the Guideline for diagnosis and treatment of infection after internal fixation of closed lower limb fractures in adults ( version 2025). The guideline proposed 10 recommendations, aiming to provide a foundation for standardized diagnosis and treatment of postoperative infection in adults with closed lower limb fractures.

Thoracolumbar spine fracture often leads to severe pain, functional impairments, and neurological deficits, for which open reduction and internal fixation can effectively restore the spinal structural stability. Open decompression and reduction with internal fixation can help relieve spinal cord compression and improve spinal function in cases of concomitant cord injury. Although spinal stability can be restored through surgery, patients often face chronic pain and functional impairments postoperatively. A postoperative rehabilitation program is critical in optimizing therapeutic outcomes, reducing complications, and minimizing the risk of secondary injuries. However, current rehabilitation methods, such as physical therapy, functional training, and pain management, are confronted with problems in clinical practice, including significant variation in efficacy, poor patient adherence, and prolonged rehabilitation period. There is an urgent need for a unified rehabilitation strategy to address these problems. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Spine Health Professional Committee of the Chinese Human Health Technology Promotion Association organized experts from relevant fields to formulate Evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation treatment after internal fixation of thoracolumbar spine fracture in adults ( version 2025) by integrating evidences from clinical researches and advanced rehabilitation concepts at home and abroad. A total number of 14 recommendations concerning the rehabilitation treatment with multimodal analgesia, psychological intervention, deep vein thrombosis prevention, core muscle and extremity exercise, appropriate use of braces, early weight-bearing, device-aided rehabilitation exercise, neuroregulatory therapy, rehabilitation team were put forward, aiming to standardize the post-operative rehabilitation process following internal fixation, promote the functional recovery, and enhance patients′ quality of life.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.