Abstract
Musculoskeletal diseases are leading causes of disability, morbidity and economic loss across the globe today. Yet for much of the world's population access to cheap, safe and effective intervention is lacking, while others choose not to accept best practice and best evidence, or significantly more expensive treatment. Great advances have been made in some diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, but the cost of many new treatments is unaffordable, and individuals, insurance and governments struggle to, or cannot fund it. Anchor bias and politics determines national policies and research funding, often favouring other illnesses while musculoskeletal disorders lack the support proportional to their frequency and impact. This is not appreciated by policy makers and governments, and the consequences of lack of care or poor-quality care. The need has never been greater for a treatment for osteoarthritis, the most common disease in the world; but the search for a cure needs funding, and if discovered, who will pay for it?
