Interesting article in "The Atlantic" about athlete's and being injury-prone...long story short---it's genetic

[Big Turk]

"In a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2009, South African researchers found that specific variations of a collagen gene named COL1A1 were under-represented in a group of recreational athletes who had suffered traumatic ACL injuries. Those who had torn their ACL were four times as likely as the uninjured study subjects to have a blood relative who had suffered the same injury, suggesting that genetics are at least partially responsible for the strength of the ligament.

The same COL1A1 gene has also been linked to other soft-tissue injuries, like Achilles-tendon ruptures and shoulder dislocations. In a review article that combined the results of multiple studies on the COL1A1 gene, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2010, researchers concluded that those with the TT genotype—one of three potential variants of the gene, found only in 5 percent of the population—are extremely unlikely to suffer a traumatic ligament or tendon injury."

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-genetics-of-being-injury-prone/385257/

[Thurman#1]

Actual long story short ... "There's a genetic component."

 

But it's interesting. Thanks for posting it.

Edited July 3, 2019 by Thurman#1

[GoBills808]

Interesting. I’ve done both ACLs left and right, my brother did his right knee, and my mom did hers as well. So I don’t doubt there’s a genetic component. However...I was under the impression that the physical construction of a given person’s knee, specifically the relative width and depth of the intercondylar notch, was most correlated w/ ACL tears, does this gene correspond with shallow and narrow notches?

[JoPar_v2]

6 hours ago, matter2003 said:

"In a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2009, South African researchers found that specific variations of a collagen gene named COL1A1 were under-represented in a group of recreational athletes who had suffered traumatic ACL injuries. Those who had torn their ACL were four times as likely as the uninjured study subjects to have a blood relative who had suffered the same injury, suggesting that genetics are at least partially responsible for the strength of the ligament.

 

This is awesome fascinating stuff thank u matter for posting it. 

[stevewin]

TB12 shakes are chock full of delicious COL1A1

[colin]

1 hour ago, stevewin said:

TB12 shakes are chock full of delicious COL1A1

 

 

loool

[CuseBill]

Interesting question...will we come to a time when NFL teams do genetic testing on potential hires?  They do cognitive/intellectual testing, physical testing, etc.  Why not genetic testing? 

[Seasons1992]

1 hour ago, CuseBill said:

Interesting question...will we come to a time when NFL teams do genetic testing on potential hires?  They do cognitive/intellectual testing, physical testing, etc.  Why not genetic testing? 

 

If I were an NFL owner you better believe I'd be doing this. But I would also imagine there's a huge privacy issue or some kind of personal rights that would have to be overcome first.

[Saxum]

I easily get soft tissue tears including when I am sleeping from RLS.  This could explain part of it.

[MJS]

2 hours ago, CuseBill said:

Interesting question...will we come to a time when NFL teams do genetic testing on potential hires?  They do cognitive/intellectual testing, physical testing, etc.  Why not genetic testing? 

That will never happen. Genetic privacy is a thing. We can't even force criminals to submit to blood or genetic testing without their consent.

 

If players were smart they would always refuse.

[Formerly Allan in MD]

It makes sense to consider this.  Along the same line, look at immediate family health history as they do when you initially visit a doctor's office.  These are not end all considerations but do enhance the "portrait" of the athlete.

[CuseBill]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

That will never happen. Genetic privacy is a thing. We can't even force criminals to submit to blood or genetic testing without their consent.

 

If players were smart they would always refuse.

Consent and waiver are "a thing" too.  Probable cause for suspected criminals is a "a thing" too.  "If players were smart" . . . I don't even know where to go with that one.

[TigerJ]

12 hours ago, GoBills808 said:

Interesting. I’ve done both ACLs left and right, my brother did his right knee, and my mom did hers as well. So I don’t doubt there’s a genetic component. However...I was under the impression that the physical construction of a given person’s knee, specifically the relative width and depth of the intercondylar notch, was most correlated w/ ACL tears, does this gene correspond with shallow and narrow notches?

I would guess not.  Rather, it appears to have something to do with the nature of your soft connective tissues, either quantity or (more likely) toughness.

[billsintaiwan]

3 hours ago, MJS said:

That will never happen. Genetic privacy is a thing. We can't even force criminals to submit to blood or genetic testing without their consent.

 

If players were smart they would always refuse.

Blood testing of people suspected of duo sans consent is the law of the land.

[oldmanfan]

This is an interesting observation; I'm going to try and find the original article.  As for whether teams could mandate genetic testing, my wife served on the committee back in the 90's to advise the Clinton administration on genetic testing, and she was at the White House when the act was signed prohibiting discrimination through genetic testing.  The issues they had to grapple with centered around how insurance companies and employers would use or misuse genetic testing info to discriminate against folks.  I suspect that would apply to testing football players as well.

[GoBills808]

1 hour ago, TigerJ said:

I would guess not.  Rather, it appears to have something to do with the nature of your soft connective tissues, either quantity or (more likely) toughness.

This kind of stuff is so intriguing to me...I played sports at various levels and I’ve always thought that a significant percentage of guys who keep progressing to the pros and beyond are simply the ones whose bodies are able to stay intact and heal quickly. 

[row_33]

last article of this nature stated that a large % of drastic knee injuries occurred without contact, often just running patterns and fakes

 

as if the mind asking the knee to do something, and it wasn't able to accomplish it, led to a huge amount of non-contact injuries

 

 

[Augie]

The human body was not meant to play football. 

 

 

I heard/read that somewhere.   ?