This week is National Bone and Joint Health Awareness Week.  As the baby boomers age, the number of individuals over age 50 will double by 2020.   As a result, musculoskeletal impairments � more prevalent in older Americans � will increase as well.  Despite these facts, orthopaedic research expenditures represent only a small fraction of the government�s research budget.  Doctor Regis O�Keefe, orthopaedic surgeon and President of the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade: 

�It�s possible to imagine a time in the future when arthritis is not necessarily a life-long ailment, when osteoporosis can be cured, when cellular biology makes it possible to eradicate most musculoskeletal diseases.  Supporting orthopaedic research will make all of this possible.�

Injuries to bones, muscles, joints and tendons are the number one reason for doctors� visits.  For free information on bone health, log on to, u-s-b-j-d-dot-org, or call the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at 1-800-824-bones.