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Dr Arnold Y.L. Wong
PolyU Scholars Hub

Dr Arnold WONG

ADoRISA, Associate Professor & Programme Leader of BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy

PhD(UAlberta), MPhil(HKU), BScPT(PolyU), BSc(HKU)

Biography

Dr Arnold Wong leads the BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy Programme in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and serves as the Associate Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. A registered physiotherapist in Hong Kong, he earned his MPhil in Orthopaedics from The University of Hong Kong and his PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Alberta, Canada.

Dr Wong's research leverages advanced technology, including AI, to study spinal pain, disorders, and rehabilitation, focusing on low back pain, lumbar spinal stenosis, and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. He has authored over 140 highly cited publications in top-tier journals such as Lancet Rheumatology and The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. His work is globally recognised, earning him awards such as the International Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment Best Paper 2019 and the Hong Kong 31st Annual Congress of Gerontology Outstanding Paper 2024. Since 2023, he has been listed among the World's Top 2% Most-cited Scientists (Orthopaedic) (Single Year Impact) by Stanford University and is the top-ranked Asian researcher for "Low Back Pain" and "Back Pain" according to Expertscape.

Dr Wong has been invited to deliver lectures worldwide, including at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and The University of Sydney. He has successfully supervised numerous Master's and Doctorate students in Hong Kong and Australia, with his PhD graduates holding academic positions in Hong Kong and the UK. His students have received 40 local and international research awards.

Dr Wong actively advances education and research in orthopaedics and rehabilitation. He is the Director Board Member of the International Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment, a Member of the Education Committee, a former Asia-Pacific Representative of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, and an Executive Committee Member of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association. Additionally, he serves as an Associate Editor for BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Journal and Journal of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Rehabilitation, and is on the editorial boards of multiple journals.

 

Education and Academic Qualifications

  • Foundation Certificate in Nutrition (Weight Management), The University of Hong Kong (School of Professional and Continuing Education)
  • Certificate in Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Management, The University of Hong Kong (School of Professional and Continuing Education)
  • Diploma in Acupuncture for Physiotherapists, Sun Yat-Sen University
  • Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Bachelor of Science in Biology, The University of Hong Kong
  • Master of Philosophy in Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Alberta

Professional Qualifications

  • Register of Physiotherapists (Part Ia)

Research Interests

  • Associations between spinal function and spinal pain
  • Spinal pain and aging
  • Psychological factors affecting spinal pain

Research Output

  • Zheng DKY, Liu JQJ, Chang JR, Ng J, Zhou Z, Wu J, Cheung CKA, Huang FF, Pinto SM, Samartzis D, Ferreira ML, Ekanayake K, Lord S, Wang XQ, Wong AYL. Are changes in pain intensity related to changes in balance control in individuals with chronic non-specific low back pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sport and Health Science 2024 [Epub ahead of print].
  • Li Y, Wong AYL, Chung WM, Li MQ, Molasiotis A, Bressington D, Ma CZH, Kor PPK, Yeung WF. The effect of a mindfulness and motivational interviewing-oriented physical-psychological integrative intervention for community-dwelling spinal cord injury survivors: a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2024;S0003-9993(24)01006-2.
  • Liu JQJ, Hui KTK, Al Zoubi F, Zhou ZZX, Samartzis D, Yu CCH, Chang JR, Wong AYL. The great detectives: human versus AI detectors in catching large language model-generated medical writing. International Journal for Educational Integrity 2024;20:8.
  • Chang JR, Chan WY, Sharma S, Zhou ZX, Zheng DKY, Samartzis D, Pinto SM, Li S, Sun E, Lee J, Wong AYL. Comparative effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on sleep in individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review with network meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews 2023;73:101867.
  • Chan WWY, Fu SN, Chong TF, Gurjiven S, Tsai DSJ, Wong MCY, Zheng YP, Parent EC, Cheung JPY, Wong AYL. Associations between paraspinal muscle characteristics and spinal curvature in conservatively treated adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review. The Spine Journal 2023; S1529-9430(23)03502-7.
  • Anwer S, Li H, Antwi-Aafari M, Shaphe M, Paalekar T, Wong AYL. Identification and classification of physical fatigue in construction workers using linear and nonlinear heart rate variability measurements. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 2023;149:7.
  • Wong AYL, Samartzis D, Maher C. The global burden of osteoarthritis: past and future perspectives. Lancet Rheumatology 2023;5:E496-E497.
  • Wong, AYL, Mallow M, Pinto SM, Udy P, An HS, Samartzis D.The efficacy and safety of oral antibiotic treatment in patients with chronic low back pain and Modic changes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JOR Spine 2023;e1281.
  • Pinto S, Cheung JYP, Samartzis D, Karppinen J, Zheng YP, Pang MYC, Wong AYL. Are morphometric and biomechanical characteristics of lumbar multifidus related to pain intensity or disability in people with chronic low back pain after considering psychological factors or insomnia? Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022; 13:809891.
  • Wong AYL, Harada G, Lee R, Gandhi S, Dziedzic A, Espinoza-Orias A, Parnianpour M, Louie P, Basques B, An HS, Samartzis D. Preoperative paraspinal neck muscle characteristics are associated with early-onset radiographic adjacent segment degeneration in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion patients: A machine-learning modelling analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic Research 2021;39:1732-1744. doi: 10.1002/jor.24829.

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