Genetic Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injuries in Athletes of Russian National Teams

BACKGROUND: The high incidence of injuries and musculoskeletal disorders represents one of the most significant challenges in elite sports. Despite the widely recognized role of genetic factors in determining individual risk, the spectrum and frequency of associated genetic variants in the key population—athletes of the Russian national teams—remain insufficiently studied, which limits the development of personalized prevention strategies. This study aimed to address this gap.

AIM: To determine the frequencies and distribution of gene variants associated with the risk of injuries and musculoskeletal disorders among examined athletes of the Russian national teams.

METHODS: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted. The study included athletes of the Russian national teams aged 18 to 40 years who provided informed consent and underwent an in-depth medical examination (IME) according to the established protocol. The non-inclusion criterion was the absence of signed informed consent or a complete set of IME data. Study groups were formed based on IME data: the “case” group consisted of athletes with a history of at least one injury or musculoskeletal disorder, while the “control” group included athletes with no recorded history of such conditions. The study was conducted at the FSBI “NCSM” FMBA of Russia and the FSBI “CSP” FMBA of Russia. The period for participant inclusion and retrospective data collection from electronic IME databases spanned from 2021 to 2024.

RESULTS: Out of 152 athletes, 94 (61.8%) had a history of injuries or musculoskeletal disorders. Genetic associations with the outcome were identified for a number of variants. The highest odds ratios for injury risk were shown by the A allele of the IL18RAP gene (rs1420100, OR=31.81; p=0.003) and the C allele of the FGF10 gene (rs1448037, OR=57.16; p=0.003). A protective effect was demonstrated by the G allele of the MIR608 gene (rs4919510, OR=0.06; p=0.006) and the A allele of the MMP3 gene (rs650108, OR=0.10; p=0.010). Significant associations were also found for variants in the GDF5 (rs143383, OR=20.36; p=0.002), VEGFA (rs1570360, OR=28.31; p=0.003), and COL3A1 (rs1800255, OR=13.22; p=0.007) genes.

CONCLUSION: The difference in the distribution of individual genetic variants between athletes with and without a history of injuries and musculoskeletal disorders is statistically significant. The obtained values are consistent with the expected biological effects of these genes. The study results can be implemented into the system of medical and biological support for athletes.