Exploring the causal association between television viewing and meniscal injuries: A two-sample Mendelian...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
• Genetic Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Sedentary behavior is increasingly prevalent globally.
• Meniscal injuries represent a significant burden in orthopedic care.
• The causal link between sedentary behavior and meniscal injuries remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationship between sedentary behavior and meniscal injuries.
• To utilize Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess this association.
• To provide genetic epidemiological evidence for risk factor identification.

Main Methods:

• Employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design.
• Utilized large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data from European ancestry.
• Applied inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median estimation (WME), and MR-Egger regression methods, alongside sensitivity analyses.

Main Results:

• A significant positive causal effect was observed between sedentary behavior (TV viewing time) and meniscus injury risk (OR: 2.93, P < .001).
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness and reliability of the findings.
• No significant heterogeneity or pleiotropic bias was detected.

Conclusions:

• Sedentary behavior, particularly prolonged TV watching, is a potential causal risk factor for meniscal injuries.
• Reducing sedentary time may be a viable strategy for mitigating meniscus injury risk.
• This study offers strong genetic evidence supporting lifestyle modifications for knee health.