Nutritional Biomarkers as Predictors of Rehabilitation Success in Musculoskeletal Disorders: Bridging Nutrition Science and Physiotherapy

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a leading cause of global disability, with rehabilitation outcomes varying considerably among individuals despite advances in physiotherapy-based interventions. Emerging evidence highlights the importance of nutritional status in regulating tissue repair, muscle adaptation, inflammation, and functional recovery. This review explores the role of nutritional biomarkers as predictive tools for optimizing rehabilitation outcomes in individuals with musculoskeletal conditions. The biological interactions between nutrition and recovery processes are discussed, emphasizing protein metabolism, bone remodeling, connective tissue healing, inflammation regulation, and oxidative stress control. Key nutritional biomarkers, including vitamin D status, protein-related indicators, iron parameters, omega-3 fatty acid profiles, and micronutrient markers, are evaluated for their potential association with muscle function, bone healing, and rehabilitation progress. Evidence across osteoarthritis, post-fracture recovery, sarcopenia, and sports injury rehabilitation demonstrates that nutritional assessment can provide valuable insights for individualized intervention planning. Although biomarker-guided rehabilitation represents a promising approach toward precision care, challenges including lack of standardized biomarker panels, clinical validation, cost limitations, and insufficient longitudinal evidence restrict widespread implementation. Future research should focus on establishing clinically applicable biomarker frameworks to integrate nutritional assessment with personalized rehabilitation strategies. Nutritional biomarker-guided approaches may represent a transformative pathway for improving recovery prediction, optimizing therapeutic decisions, and enhancing patient-centered musculoskeletal care.