Dr. Joshua Jacobs, chair of orthopedic surgery at Rush University Medical Center, has been elected president of the United States Bone and Joint Decade, the U.S. national action network of a global campaign to improve the quality of life for people with musculoskeletal conditions, or bone and joint disorders. Jacobs took office at the organization’s annual meeting on June 9 and will serve a two-year term.

The Bone and Joint Decade is an international collaborative movement sanctioned by the United Nations/World Health Organization. Participating organizations are engaged in developing new research and education programs that will bring about significant advances in the knowledge, diagnosis and treatment of bone and joint disorders, and increase the number of resources at the disposal of the healthcare profession and the public at large. Worldwide, 63 national governments and more than 750 patient advocacy and health professional organizations have endorsed this effort.  

In addition to his leadership role at Rush University Medical Center, Jacobs has been a faculty member at Rush Medical College since 1987, and currently is the William A. Hark, M.D./Susanne G. Swift Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. He also serves as director of biomaterials research in the Department of Orthopedics.

Jacobs is involved in several research studies supported by the National Institutes of Health and other organizations focusing on the biocompatibility, wear and corrosion of implanted joint prostheses. He has presented his research findings at conferences throughout the world and has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, over 30 book chapters and two books.

Jacobs has served in senior positions in numerous medical societies and national committees, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Association, the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (National Institutes of Health) Advisory Council, the American Society for Testing and Materials International and the Orthopaedic Research Society.

Bone and joint disorders, including arthritis, back pain, and osteoporosis, are the most common causes of severe long-term pain and physical disability and account for half of all chronic conditions in the elderly. In the United States alone, musculoskeletal conditions are a leading cause of disability, accounting for more than 130 million patient visits to healthcare providers annually. They are the No. 1 reason people visit their physician, and affect nearly one in two Americans over the age of 18.