Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Post-COVID-19 Patients - A Systematic Review

Background and Purpose: SARS-COV-2 has become a pandemic disease causing the acute respiratory syndrome. Clinical presentation varies in every individual and had shown a majority of respiratory symptoms followed by musculoskeletal complications arising from the inflammatory and Immune responses. Understanding the epidemiology of musculoskeletal complications in post-COVID-19 is imperative for improvement of better rehabilitation strategies and quality of life. AIM was to assess the current evidence on prevalence of Musculoskeletal disorders in post-COVID-19 patients.Methodology: The Systematic review was conducted using the data published from November 2019 onwards, articles (n=45) meeting the eligibility criteria were assessed from sources: PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, EMBASE. Studies having a score of ≥ 15 on STROBE checklist, cross-sections studies, Observational/Survey were selected. Cases diagnosed COVID-19 for 6 weeks or more were included.Results: We found that major musculoskeletal symptoms included are muscle fatigue(n=49.12%), arthralgia(n=33%), and myalgia(n=34.75%) followed by joint swelling (as reactive arthritis) and conditions such as joint limitations, tendon shortening, and muscle weakness due to prolonged bed rest.Conclusion: Our findings revealed that focus on musculoskeletal rehabilitation of patients with post-COVID-19 is essential along with cardiorespiratory rehabilitation. Review suggests that it would be effective in reducing physical complications, improving functional independence and quality of life in patients.Key words: Musculoskeletal pain, Musculoskeletal disorders, Musculoskeletal consequences, Covid-19.