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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Ethical and legal implications of genetic testing in traumatology and orthopedics
Yaroslavl State Medical University, Yaroslavl, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Vitaly V. Savgachev
Revolutsionnaya St., 5, Yaroslavl region, Yaroslavl, 150000, Russia; ur.liam@8822grurih
Acknowledgements: the author expresses gratitude to Alexander L. Khokhlov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rector of Yaroslavl State Medical University (YSMU), for his help in organizing the laboratory genetic stage of the study.
Compliance with ethical standards: the study was carried out as part of the doctoral dissertation entitled “Treatment of purulent complications and prediction of their outcomes in patients with trauma to the medial lower extremity” approved by the Academic Council of YSMU (extract from protocol No. 11 of the meeting of the Academic Council of YSMU dated 06/26/2024, state registration number: 124071000009-0). The work was approved by the Ethics Committee (extract from the minutes of the meeting of the YSMU Ethics Committee dated June 14, 2024 No. 68).
The field of medicine has traditionally focused on such symptoms of a disease as pain, inflammation, and tissue deformity. However, according to the modern approach, it is necessary to identify the cause of the disease, which is often hidden deep inside the body. Examining genetic polymorphism as the basis for purulent complications after treatment of the lower limb injury was one of the method that could solve the problem. Epidemiological observations confirm that purulent complications after orthopedic surgery are associated with hereditary predisposition factors. This highlights the important role of genetic changes in development and course of this pathology. However, any medical intervention is associated with potential risks, including emotional pain of the patient, violation of personal data confidentiality and misuse of the obtained information. That is why it is important to think in advance about the possible consequences of genetic tests and to find ways how to resolve ethical issues.
Keywords: polymorphism, ethics, genetic research, lower limb injury