Location

Suwanee, GA

Start Date

10-5-2021 12:00 AM

End Date

13-5-2021 12:00 AM

Description

Background: 100,000-200,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur each year in the United States. These injuries result in significant burden to the patient, and predisposition to ACL injuries is often multifactorial. Some researchers have looked into the genetic component to ACL injuries, both at the population and molecular level. We aim to study a large orthopaedic population in order to assess the association between personal and family history of an ACL injury.

Hypothesis/Purpose: We hypothesize that patients with a first-degree relative, who have a history of ACL injury, will have increased odds to sustain an ACL injury themselves.

Study Design: Case-Control Study

Methods: Study subjects were obtained via two methods. All patients treated with ACL repair or reconstruction performed at Emory University Healthcare (or their guardian in the case of patients who are minors) from 3/17/2017 – 3/12/2020 were contacted by phone and/or email and asked to complete a REDCap survey detailing personal and familial history of ACL injury, sport played, and reinjury of the ipsilateral ACL. Additional case subjects and all control subjects were obtained by outpatient intake questionnaire of all Emory University Department of Orthopedics patients from 12/18/2019 – 4/23/2020. Statistical analysis included odds ratio (OR) calculations of individual genders and overall population.

Results: Responses were obtained from 2179 subjects (501 with prior ACL tears). Patients with a history of ACL injury are almost 5 times as likely to have a first-degree relative with a prior ACL injury than patients with no history of ACL injury (odds ratio = 4.9, 95% confidence interval 3.8–6.5, P < 0.001). When matched by gender, male and female patients with a prior ACL injury are 5.6 and 4.5 times, respectively, more likely to have a first-degree relative with a history of ACL injury than patients with no first-degree family history of an ACL injury (male: odds ratio=5.6, 95% confidence interval 3.7–8.4, P < 0.001; female: odds ratio=4.5, 95% confidence interval 3.2–6.5, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: This is the largest known study to date of the familial predisposition to ACL injury. These findings suggest there is a strong familial predisposition to ACL injuries. Male patients may be more susceptible to the genetic predisposition of ACL tears than females. Future studies should focus on identifying patients at highest risk to reduce the impact of non-modifiable risk factors on development of ACL injury.

Embargo Period

6-3-2022

COinS
 
May 10th, 12:00 AM May 13th, 12:00 AM

Family History of ACL tears as non-modifiable risk factor in ACL injury

Suwanee, GA

Background: 100,000-200,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur each year in the United States. These injuries result in significant burden to the patient, and predisposition to ACL injuries is often multifactorial. Some researchers have looked into the genetic component to ACL injuries, both at the population and molecular level. We aim to study a large orthopaedic population in order to assess the association between personal and family history of an ACL injury.

Hypothesis/Purpose: We hypothesize that patients with a first-degree relative, who have a history of ACL injury, will have increased odds to sustain an ACL injury themselves.

Study Design: Case-Control Study

Methods: Study subjects were obtained via two methods. All patients treated with ACL repair or reconstruction performed at Emory University Healthcare (or their guardian in the case of patients who are minors) from 3/17/2017 – 3/12/2020 were contacted by phone and/or email and asked to complete a REDCap survey detailing personal and familial history of ACL injury, sport played, and reinjury of the ipsilateral ACL. Additional case subjects and all control subjects were obtained by outpatient intake questionnaire of all Emory University Department of Orthopedics patients from 12/18/2019 – 4/23/2020. Statistical analysis included odds ratio (OR) calculations of individual genders and overall population.

Results: Responses were obtained from 2179 subjects (501 with prior ACL tears). Patients with a history of ACL injury are almost 5 times as likely to have a first-degree relative with a prior ACL injury than patients with no history of ACL injury (odds ratio = 4.9, 95% confidence interval 3.8–6.5, P < 0.001). When matched by gender, male and female patients with a prior ACL injury are 5.6 and 4.5 times, respectively, more likely to have a first-degree relative with a history of ACL injury than patients with no first-degree family history of an ACL injury (male: odds ratio=5.6, 95% confidence interval 3.7–8.4, P < 0.001; female: odds ratio=4.5, 95% confidence interval 3.2–6.5, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: This is the largest known study to date of the familial predisposition to ACL injury. These findings suggest there is a strong familial predisposition to ACL injuries. Male patients may be more susceptible to the genetic predisposition of ACL tears than females. Future studies should focus on identifying patients at highest risk to reduce the impact of non-modifiable risk factors on development of ACL injury.