Surgeons urged to address locomotion and vitality for healthy aging

This article discusses the World Health Organization concept of intrinsic capacity, which includes locomotion, vitality, cognition, sensory function, and psychological well-being as foundational to healthy aging. The authors state that orthopaedic surgeons can address locomotion and vitality through muscle strengthening and balance prescriptions, malnutrition screening and nutrient optimization, and bone health optimization, and suggest these measures may reduce falls and fragility fractures and improve surgical outcomes. The piece notes that musculoskeletal conditions account for over 40 million disability-adjusted life years globally among people aged 60 and older, and that up to half of older adults have multimorbidity requiring optimization before surgery.

Most relevant for: Older adults undergoing orthopaedic surgical care, including arthroplasty, particularly those with multimorbidity or fragility fracture risk.

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