Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39572502›Full record

ReviewCurrent reviews in musculoskeletal medicine2025

The Effects of Microplastics on Musculoskeletal Disorder; A Narrative Review.

Hiroyori Fusagawa, Alex Youn, Elyse Wilkerson, Nirav Pandya, Brian T Feeley

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. A Beginner's Guide for Using Bone in Marine Mammal Research.Integrative and comparative biology · 2026
    Guideline
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. The "plastic spine" phenotype and the spine exposome: emerging links between micro- and nanoplastics and spinal disorders.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
    Article
  6. Underexplored terrain: effects of high priority environmental toxicants on skeletal muscle.Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part B, Critical reviews · 2026
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Hiroyori FusagawaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, 1500 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA. Hiroyori.Fusagawa@ucsf.edu.
Alex YounSchool of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Ave MU 320W, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
Elyse WilkersonDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
Nirav PandyaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, 1500 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
Brian T FeeleyDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, 1500 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.

Funding

Skeletal Biology and Biomechanics (SBB) CoreP30AR075055 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Wenhan Chang · 2019 to 2026
$7.1M
NIAMS NIH HHS P30 AR075055
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewThe physical health impacts of microplastics have received increasing attention in recent years. However, limited data impedes a full understanding of the internal exposure to microplastics, especially concerning the musculoskeletal system. The purpose of this review is to summarize the recent literature regarding the effects of microplastics on the musculoskeletal system. RECENT

findingsMicroplastics have been shown to cause abnormal endochondral ossification and disrupt the normal function of pre-osteoblasts, osteocyte-like cells, and pre-osteoclasts through gene mutations, endoplasmic reticulum stress induction, and reduced autophagosome formation in bone growth areas. Although there are few reports on their effects on muscle, it has been noted that microplastics inhibit energy and lipid metabolism, decrease type I muscle fiber density, impair muscle angiogenesis, cause muscle atrophy, and increase lipid deposition. Only a few recent studies have shown that microplastics interfere with the normal function of bone growth-related cells and reduce muscle mass and quality. This review underscores the need for further research into other parts of the musculoskeletal system and studies using human tissues at the disease level.

Indexed as

BoneMicroplasticsMuscleMusculoskeletal disorder

Identifiers

PMID39572502
PMCPMC11775366

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.