This Special Issue of the Journal of Hand Therapy focuses on the unique nature of dysfunction as a result of overuse – from the perspective and in the context of personal, occupational, biomechanical, physiological, and psychosocial factors. The goal of the special issue was to develop a volume of compelling scientific and clinical articles - unique in their approaches and perspectives - addressing assessment and intervention for people whose occupation places them at risk for upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. As such, we have assembled a collection of expert authors to bring a different perspective and address some of the more difficult clinical issues facing occupational and physical therapists who treat hand and upper extremity musculoskeletal overuse conditions (hand therapists). The articles in this issue address a variety of topics related to cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs): •

Assessment and management of overuse injuries in high-risk populations: industrial workers (Pitts); work-at-home computer workstation users (Emerson); people with unilateral upper extremity amputation (Flinn).

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Unique performance related injuries of musicians - suggesting a framework for assessment, prevention, and treatment (Yang, Baptiste-Grey); and focal dystonia (Ackerman, Butler).

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Wolff reports results of an RCT designed to prevent musician overuse injury at an intense summer festival through an educational workshop intervention.

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King presents psychosocial factors contributing to CTD development and an alternative to the medical model for treatment.

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Methods to align science and clinical practice: from the field of implementation science (Juckett, Wolff); a scoping review of the use of exercise-based upper extremity injury prevention programs (Boyette); a systemic review of diagnostic clinical tests and questionnaires in screening for carpal tunnel syndrome (Dabbagh); a novel treatment framework, and an integrative review to link pathology with tissue-level treatment and ergonomic interventions for lateral elbow pain (Taylor, Stegink-Jansen).