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Accepted manuscript

The Research Progress and Potential Applications of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Orthopedics: A Narrative Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2025

Hanze Mao
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Guangqi Lu
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Liming Zheng
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Minghui Zhuang
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Long Liang
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Shuaiqi Zhou
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Jing Li
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Xinyue Sun
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Yakun Liu
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Mingming Ma
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Jiaming Hu
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Jie Yu*
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Orthopaedic Techniques, Beijing, China
Liguo Zhu*
Affiliation:
Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Orthopaedic Techniques, Beijing, China
*
#Corresponding authors: Jie Yu, E-mail: doctoryujie@aliyun.com; Liguo Zhu E-mail: zhlg95@aliyun.com
#Corresponding authors: Jie Yu, E-mail: doctoryujie@aliyun.com; Liguo Zhu E-mail: zhlg95@aliyun.com
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Abstract

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Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 PUFAs), including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are widely found in plant oils and marine organisms. These fatty acids demonstrate significant biological effects, and their adequate intake is essential for maintaining health. However, modern diets often lack sufficient n-3 PUFAs, especially among populations that consume little fish or seafood,leading to a growing interest in n-3 PUFAs supplementation in nutrition and health research. In recent decades, the role of n-3 PUFAs in preventing and treating various diseases has gained increasing attention, particularly in cardiovascular, neurological, ophthalmic, allergic, hepatic, and oncological fields.In orthopedics, n-3 PUFAs exert beneficial effects through several mechanisms, including modulation of inflammatory responses, enhancement of cartilage repair, and regulation of bone metabolism. These effects demonstrate potential for the treatment of conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), gout, osteoporosis (OP), fractures, sarcopenia, and spinal degenerative diseases (SDD). This review summarizes the clinical applications of n-3 PUFAs, with a focus on their research progress in the field of orthopedics, and explores their potential in the treatment of orthopedic diseases.

Information

Type
Review
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

Footnotes

*

These authors contributed equally to this work