ABSTRACT
In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that surgical illness-illness that can be treated by surgical means-is a major source of impairment in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) around the world. This impairment translates into a huge burden of disability, lost productivity, and human misery. In turn, it has become clear that much of this impairment is musculoskeletal in nature. This connection should come as no surprise. In parts of the world where physical work is the principal or only means of making a living and the margin for economic survival is thin, even slight loss of strength, dexterity, or stamina can have grave consequences.1
