Optimizing Movement After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Part of paid clinical trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

Sponsor
University of Nebraska
Study ID
NCT05363683
Status
Completed

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
13 Years - 35 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Squat Biofeedback — PROCEDURE
    The intervention group will complete bilateral squats with each limb on a separate portable force plate. They will receive real-time visual feedback on a 32-inch screen during all squats. Biofeedback conditions will be progressed from simplest (ground reaction force only) to most complex (ground reaction force plus center of pressure). This intervention will be included in additional to standard care post-operative physical therapy.
  • Standard Care — PROCEDURE
    The intervention group will receive standard care post-operative physical therapy.

Study Details

Fifty percent of teenagers and young adults who suffer an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury develop knee osteoarthritis (OA) within 15 years. The resulting pain, reduced quality-of-life, and increased risk for co-morbidity lead to substantial healthcare costs, inability to fulfill work and personal responsibilities, and reduced long-term health. Degeneration in articular cartilage, connective tissue that covers the ends of bones in the knee, is the hallmark of early OA development after knee injury. This deterioration can be measured by an imaging biomarker for OA development on quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Harmful increases in MRI markers of the knee's articular cartilage occur within months of ACL injury and indicate preventative interventions should begin soon after injury. However, evidence-based interventions to prevent OA do not exist. This project will challenge the traditional OA paradigm that too much joint loading (e.g. "wear and tear") causes cartilage breakdown. A multi-disciplinary team has developed a novel visual biofeedback paradigm using portable force plates that can increase knee loading during squats within a single session after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). This study will determine the efficacy of the visual biofeedback program initiated two weeks after ACLR by assessing movement biomechanics and MRI changes in cartilage after six months later. Successful completion of this project will establish the first rehabilitation intervention to effectively and optimally load the knee joint early after ACLR, providing the initial steps to prevent OA after ACL injury.

Key Dates

Start date
Nov 11, 2021
Status verified
Jun 2025
Primary completion
Jun 5, 2024
Completion
Jun 5, 2024

Study Design

Enrollment
34 participants (actual)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION

Arms

  • Active Comparator: Control
    Standard care
  • Experimental: Experimental
    Squat biofeedback intervention

Primary Outcome Measure

Knee Flexion Moment Impulse [ Time Frame: Immediately post-intervention (within approximately 1 week after completing intervention) ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaNebraska68198-

Find similar trials in Omaha, NE

Related Studies