Precision Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation: Integrating Imaging-Guided Diagnosis, Personalized Exercise Prescription, and Behavioral Strategies Across Athletic and Clinical Populations

Musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause of global disability, imposing substantial burdens on function, quality of life, and healthcare systems. Effective rehabilitation depends on two pillars often operated in isolation: accurate diagnostic assessment and individualized exercise-based intervention. Advanced imaging modalities — including MRI, CT, ultrasound, DXA, and AI-enhanced quantitative tools — now offer detailed insights into tissue pathology, bone quality, and structural integrity. In parallel, emerging evidence highlights the critical role of exercise dose–response relationships, neuromuscular adaptation, pain mechanisms, and biopsychosocial factors in determining rehabilitation outcomes. Yet a persistent gap remains: imaging findings are rarely translated into targeted exercise prescription, and exercise protocols seldom account for the biological tissue states that imaging reveals. This disconnect limits functional recovery across both athletic and non-athletic populations.This Research Topic aims to establish a precision rehabilitation framework that systematically connects diagnostic imaging with individualized, exercise-based clinical practice. We seek to answer questions spanning both domains: How do imaging findings — tissue damage, inflammation, bone quality — predict rehabilitation trajectory and guide exercise loading decisions? What are the optimal dose–response relationships for exercise across distinct musculoskeletal conditions, and how do neuromuscular adaptations interact with pain modulation and motor control? How do behavioral factors — adherence, pain education, graded exposure — mediate outcomes in chronic and post-surgical populations, and how can serial imaging reinforce or adjust these strategies over time?By bringing together radiologists, rehabilitation specialists, sports medicine practitioners, exercise scientists, and behavioral researchers, this Research Topic cultivates the interdisciplinary dialogue needed to close the gap between imaging data and exercise prescription, producing more precise, evidence-based rehabilitation pathways that reduce recurrence and optimize functional restoration across diverse populations.We invite original research, randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and methodological innovations addressing the integration of diagnostic imaging and personalized exercise-based rehabilitation in musculoskeletal disorders. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:o Imaging-guided rehabilitation protocols for sports injuries, trauma, and post-surgical managemento Exercise dose–response relationships and load progression strategies across musculoskeletal conditionso Neuromuscular adaptation, motor control, and pain modulation in response to therapeutic exerciseo Imaging biomarkers informing return-to-activity and return-to-sport decisionso Adherence, pain education, graded exposure, and biopsychosocial integration in rehabilitationo Individualized rehabilitation protocols based on clinical phenotyping and imaging-derived tissue statuso Ultrasound-guided real-time feedback in exercise monitoring and neuromuscular assessmento Arthritis, osteoporosis, inflammatory conditions, and post-operative recovery Topic editors: Jason B Winchester, Estêvão Rios Monteiro Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81009/precision-musculoskeletal-rehabilitation-integrating-imaging-guided-diagnosis-personalized-exercise-prescription-and-behavioral-strategies-across-athletic-and-clinical-populations