Soft Tissue Integrity
Variations in COL1A1, COL5A1 and other collagen genes modifying baseline structural resilience for tendons and ligaments.
Biological Mechanism & Scientific Context
Collagen type I and type V fibrils provide tensile strength to connective tissues like the Achilles tendon and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Sequence variants affect collagen alpha chain ratios, influencing compliance and injury predisposition under repetitive mechanical load.