Causal relationship between obesity and meniscal injuries: Two-sample Mendelian randomization

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
• Genetics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Obesity is a growing global health concern with numerous comorbidities.
• Meniscal injuries are common knee joint pathologies, often leading to pain and reduced mobility.
• The etiological link between obesity and meniscal injuries requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationship between obesity and meniscal injuries.
• To utilize genetic data to establish causality, minimizing confounding factors.
• To provide evidence for public health interventions targeting obesity to prevent knee injuries.

Main Methods:

• Employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design.
• Utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for obesity and meniscal injuries in European populations.
• Applied MR-Egger, weighted median, and inverse variance weighting methods for causal inference analysis.

Main Results:

• Inverse variance weighting analysis indicated a significant causal effect of obesity on meniscal injuries (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.22, P=0.003).
• Sensitivity analyses, including heterogeneity and multiplicity tests, confirmed the robustness of the findings.
• Leave-one-out analysis further supported the reliability of the observed causal association.

Conclusions:

• Obesity is confirmed as a significant risk factor for developing meniscal injuries.
• The findings support the importance of weight management in preventing knee joint injuries.
• This study provides a genetic basis for the association between obesity and meniscal injuries.