Unified Musculoskeletal Indices Tested in a 16-Week Phytotherapy Trial
In a 16-week randomized trial of 180 adults with chronic musculoskeletal disorders, a standardized oral and topical multi-target phytotherapeutic intervention improved all reported outcomes versus standard management, including model-derived musculoskeletal biological age. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The authors developed the UMDI and UMAI as multidomain quantitative tools to assess musculoskeletal dysfunction and estimate model-derived musculoskeletal biological age. [1]
In a 16-week randomized trial, 180 adults with chronic musculoskeletal disorders received either a standardized oral and topical multi-target phytotherapeutic intervention or standard management. [1]
Model-derived musculoskeletal biological age fell from 68.55 to 64.10 years, reducing the biological age acceleration gap by 67.9%. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- 16-week randomized controlled trial (abstract)
- Population / context
- 180 adults with chronic musculoskeletal disorders
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Publication status
- Preprint · peer-review status not confirmed
- Original publication
- August 11, 2026
New indices for chronic musculoskeletal disorders
The authors developed the Unified Musculoskeletal Dysfunction Index (UMDI) and the Unified Musculoskeletal Aging Index (UMAI) as multidomain quantitative tools. UMDI assesses musculoskeletal dysfunction; UMAI estimates model-derived musculoskeletal biological age. Physical domains (symptom and functional disability, gait, structural asymmetry, mobility restriction, anthropometric risk) and biological domains (inflammation, muscle–cartilage degeneration, bone turnover, cardiometabolic status, neurovascular function) were combined into two composite indices, CMDI and CBMI, and weighted into the UMDI.
Supporting source [1]
Phytotherapy versus standard management over 16 weeks
In this 16-week randomized controlled trial, 180 adults with chronic musculoskeletal disorders were randomized 1:1 to a standardized oral and topical multi-target phytotherapeutic intervention or to standard management. The primary outcome was change in UMDI. Compared with standard management, the intervention significantly improved all primary and secondary outcomes, except suprapatellar, infrapatellar and thigh girth measurements, which did not differ significantly between groups. CMDI and CBMI effect sizes were 0.73 and 0.92.
Supporting source [1]
Index and biological-age changes in the trial
UMDI decreased from 2.64 to 0.846, UMAI from 0.264 to 0.0846, and model-derived musculoskeletal biological age from 68.55 to 64.10 years, reducing the biological age acceleration gap by 67.9%. The authors conclude that the UMDI and UMAI provide integrated quantitative measures of treatment response and estimated musculoskeletal biological age. These are model-derived estimates from a single 16-week trial; the abstract does not report longer-term outcomes or independent validation of the indices.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. Results come from a single 16-week trial, and the biological age is model-derived rather than a directly measured quantity. Longer-term outcomes and independent validation of the indices are not reported in the abstract.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Ganguly AK, Chatterjee P, Banerjee SK, GV VS, Singal DK, Ganguly A. · europepmc.org · August 11, 2026