Genes Associated with Muscle, Tendon and Ligament Injury Epidemiology in Women's Amateur Football Players

Background: There is a lack of specific genetic studies regarding injuries in women's football. However, different genetic factors have been associated with tendon/ligament injuries in women football players. The aim of the study was to examine the genotypic frequencies of genes associated with injury risk and epidemiology in women's amateur football players and the aetiology of injuries. Methods: In total, 168 women's amateur football players from football clubs in the Spanish second division league and Caucasian descent were enrolled in this prospective observational cross-sectional study. AMPD1 (rs17602729), ACE (rs4646994), ACTN3 (rs1815739), CKM (rs8111989) and MLCK (rs2849757 and rs2700352) polymorphisms were genotyped. The characteristics of 169 non-contact injuries during the 2022/2023 season were classified following the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus Statement for reporting injuries as follows: musculoskeletal, tendon/ligament, injury setting; and severity. The disequilibria of polymorphisms were estimated using the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE). The characteristics of the injuries were recorded, and the genotype characteristics were analysed. The genotype frequencies of all polymorphisms were compared between non-injured and injured football players and injury aetiologies. Results: The AMPD1 genotype distribution differed between tendon/ligament injured and non-injured (p = 0.003) with a higher frequency in the TT genotype and T allele. The genotype distribution was different for the CKM and MLCK c.37885C>A polymorphisms in training and match injuries (p = 0.038 and p = 0.031, respectively). In the ACTN3 and AMPD1 polymorphisms, the distribution of the TT genotype in both genes showed a higher frequency in severe injuries (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tendon/ligament injury epidemiology in women's amateur football players was associated especially with the TT genotype of the AMPD1 gene. The TT genotype of the AMPD1 and ACTN3 genes was also associated with severity, and the CKM and MLCK polymorphisms were associated with injury settings.