Inflammation is usually considered as harmful; however, it is also necessary for tissue recovery after injury. The inflammatory reaction represents a protective response of tissues by eliminating noxious stimuli and initiating the healing/regeneration process. The initial stage of this protective reaction is acute inflammation, which normally reduces or terminates the offending stimulus. As the inflammatory reaction recedes, the stage of tissue repair and regeneration follows.

Inflammation has been shown to be involved many aspects of the physiological and pathological processes of musculoskeletal diseases. For instance, inflammation has been proven to be necessary for tissue repair processes such as bone and fracture repair. Additionally, it was considered as an alarm for bone and joint infection (BJI). However, excessive inflammation would also lead to chronic inflammation in degenerative musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis and intervertebral disc degeneration. Thus, understanding the spatiotemporal sequence regulation of inflammation after injury would help us understand the pathogenesis of musculoskeletal diseases and aid in the discovery of new therapeutic targets for these conditions.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collate original research and review articles describing advances in this field.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Role of inflammation in musculoskeletal physiological processes
• Modulation of inflammatory process in the musculoskeletal system
• Role of inflammation in musculoskeletal diseases (BJI, osteoporosis, etc.)
• Role of inflammation in musculoskeletal aging (osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, etc.)
• Inflammatory biomarkers in musculoskeletal disorders (bone diseases, cartilage diseases, connective tissue diseases, muscle diseases)
• Role of inflammation in musculoskeletal tissue repair (bone repair, fracture repair, soft tissue repair)
• Therapeutic potentials of targeting inflammatory processes in the musculoskeletal system