Clinical Research Directory

Tendon-Bone Versus All-Soft-Tissue for ACL Reconstruction: A Patient-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial

In primary pediatric Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, the quadriceps tendon with either tendon and patellar bone or an all-tendon graft is commonly employed. However, no randomized control trial has sought to discern the superior graft option in regards to both short-term and long-term patient outcomes.The purpose of this study is to assess the differences between these two widely used surgical techniques in ACL reconstruction by examining short, intermediate, and long term outcomes of both approaches.

Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Quadriceps Function, Landing Biomechanics, and Performance in Individuals With ACL Reconstruction

Individuals who undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are at heightened risk of secondary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury (e.g. additional injury to the ACL in either knee). One of the primary physiological consequences of ACLR is the presence of quadriceps dysfunction (i.e. reduced activation and strength) which has been linked to altered gait and landing biomechanics. Aberrant landing biomechanics have been associated with an increased risk of both primary and secondary ACL injury, thus additional research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of treatments aimed to reduce quadriceps dysfunction and restore adequate landing biomechanics in attempts to reduce secondary ACL injury. Whole-body Vibration (WBV) has demonstrated success in improving quadriceps function and gait biomechanics in individuals with ACLR, however its effectiveness on landing biomechanics is unknown. To evaluate the acute effects of WBV on landing biomechanics in those with ACLR, a non-randomized crossover-controlled trial was conducted to determine if a single bout of WBV improved landing biomechanics greater than a control condition. Participants completed two separate testing sessions (separated by at least one week) in which measures of quadriceps function and landing biomechanics were assessed before and after either a control (no WBV) or WBV intervention. Separate linear mixed-effects models of post-test values for each dependent outcome were conducted with condition (control vs WBV) and limb (ACLR vs Uninvolved) as an interaction term, and each condition pre-test values and time post-ACLR as fixed effect covariates and a random effect of subject. The investigators expect to observe a significant improvement in landing biomechanics following WBV compared to the control condition.

Rate of Non-copers to Non-surgical ACL Treatment After 3 Months of Rehabilitation

The aim is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of a screening tool to identify patients who undergo ACL reconstruction (non-copers) after 3 months of standard rehabilitation following an anterior Cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Gait Rehabilitation to Treat FastOA

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of real-time gait biofeedback delivered over a 6-week period on early markers of FastOA and conduct 6-week and 6-month follow-up assessments in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed patients.

Perturbation Training vs Functional Activities on Pain, ROM, Balance, and Function Post-ACL

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most common and functionally disabling knee injuries, particularly in physically active individuals. Despite advancements in surgical techniques, optimal post-operative rehabilitation remains critical for successful functional recovery, minimizing re-injury risk, and restoring pre-injury performance levels

Quadriceps Tendon Versus Bone Patellar Tendon Bone Autograft ACL Reconstruction RCT

The choice of autograft for ACL reconstruction continues to be debated. To date, there has only be one completed randomized controlled trial with quad tendon to BTB and the tendon included a bone plug. There has been no study to date comparing an all soft tissue quad tendon to patellar tendon in a randomized controlled trial for ACL reconstruction.

A Prospective Cohort Post Market Registry Evaluating Outcomes of Bridge-Enhanced ACL Restoration (BEAR®)

The purpose of the Bridge Registry is to assess real-world performance of the FDA approved BEAR Implant.

External Focus of Attention Feedback to Reduce Risk of Non-contact ACL Injury

Knee injuries, especially those to the ACL, are common among physically active people. Preventing these injuries from happening is critical to limiting the long-term pain, disability, and arthritis associated with these injuries. Our study is going to examine new ways to provide feedback about the way people move to determine if these are better at modifying movement patterns to prevent injury than current standard treatments. If you participate, you will be asked to undergo a movement analysis in a research laboratory while you perform tasks such as landing from a box and running and cutting. After this initial assessment, you will be randomly allocated to one of 3 treatment groups. Each treatment group will perform 4 weeks (3x/week) of exercises to change the way people land from a jump. Participants will then report for follow-up movement analysis testing 1- and 4-weeks after completing the intervention.

Micro-Doppler Radar: A Gold Standard Comparison

The purpose of this study is to see if the study team can use micro-Doppler signal (MDS) technology to determine if someone has had an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The investigators will do this by comparing the movement data from a group of people who have had the surgery with a group who has not had the surgery to see if the micro-Doppler radar technology can accurately and predictably tell the difference.

Robotic Assistance for Tunnel Positioning in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Accurate ideal graft tunnel positioning is essential for the successful application of anatomic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The accurate insertion of the tibial tunnel (TT) and femoral tunnel (FT) remain a challenge. A robotic assisted new strategy for drill TT and FT in ACL reconstruction will be performed and its efficacy and accuracy will be assess. The investigators will prospectively include 30 patients with ACL rupture requiring surgical treatment. The reconstruction will be performed with hamstring tendon graft or patellar tendon graft. The femoral and tibial tunnels placement will be guided by the Rosa robot (Zimmer®).

A Study Of Focused Shockwave For Anterior Knee Pain Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether Focused Shockwave (FSW) therapy reduces anterior knee pain following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R) with bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) or quadriceps tendon (QT) autografts.

Adding Neurocognitive Component to Balance Test

By introducing BlazePods as a neurocognitive addition to the YBT, this study aims to determine whether this addition impacts balance performance and/or reach distances between the operative and non-operative limbs of patients recovering from ACL reconstruction. Findings will contribute to optimizing return-to-sport protocols and enhancing late-stage rehabilitation program designs.

Can Sensorimotor Function Predict Graft Rupture After ACL Reconstruction

In this longitudinal prospective cohort study including young people with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, the investigators will evaluate if poor sensorimotor function at baseline can predict 1) graft rupture 2) the risk of contra-lateral ACL injury and 3) failure to return to sport/previous activity level within 3 years following ACL reconstruction.

Steps Towards Osteoarthritis Prevention

Optimal knee joint loading, which refers to the forces acting on the knee caused by daily activities such as daily steps, plays an essential role in maintaining knee articular cartilage health and reducing the risk of osteoarthritis (OA). After anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), individuals take fewer daily steps as compared to uninjured controls resulting in insufficient knee joint loading to joint tissues, but it is unclear how changes in daily steps impact knee joint cartilage health in OA development. Therefore, the overall single arm, longitudinal pre-test post-test study objective is to determine the mechanistic links between knee joint loading as measured by daily steps and comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of knee joint cartilage health post-ACLR. The central hypothesis is that individuals post-ACLR who take low daily steps will demonstrate deconditioned, less resilient cartilage characterized by poor tibiofemoral cartilage composition and greater cartilage strain.

Effect of Intraoperative Live Video Viewing on Kinesiophobia After ACL Reconstruction

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate whether intraoperative live arthroscopic video viewing improves postoperative psychological and functional outcomes in patients undergoing primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction under spinal anesthesia Participants are randomly assigned to either a video-viewing group, where they watch their surgery in real-time, or a control group receiving standard care without visual feedback The primary objective is to determine whether this patient-specific visual biofeedback reduces postoperative kinesiophobia at 24 weeks. Secondary objectives aim to evaluate the intervention's effects on state anxiety, illness perception, postoperative pain, and patient-reported functional recovery, including IKDC, Lysholm, and SF-36 scores .

Baseline ACL Injury Risk Screening and Normative Data

This is a prospective, observational cohort study aimed at establishing a database of normative biomechanics for healthy athletes and surveying these athletes for 12 months following baseline testing for the occurrence of new musculoskeletal injuries, with a particular emphasis on ACL injuries.

Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Technique After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

The purpose of this study will be to evaluate the effect of adding BFR (using 80% of LOP) to the conventional physical therapy program on knee function, functional test, balance, quadriceps and hamstrings muscles strength, thigh muscle girth and knee effusion in rehabilitation after ACLR.

Clinical Outcomes of Arthroscopic Surgeries for Shoulder and Knee Sports Injuries

This observational study aims to evaluate the long-term recovery and clinical outcomes of patients undergoing minimally invasive (arthroscopic) surgeries for sports-related shoulder and knee injuries. Sports injuries, such as ligament tears, meniscus damage, and rotator cuff tears, are common and can significantly impact a person's daily life and ability to return to sports. While surgery is an effective treatment, the recovery process and final outcomes can vary greatly from person to person. Researchers will follow patients who are already scheduled for routine shoulder or knee surgery at the study center. By collecting detailed information about the patient's initial injury, the specific surgical techniques used by the doctor, and the patient's recovery progress over two years, the study hopes to identify which factors lead to the best healing and functional outcomes. Participants will be asked to complete standard questionnaires about their joint function and pain levels before their surgery, and again at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. The study is strictly observational; it will not change the standard medical care, surgical plan, or rehabilitation routine the patients receive.

Comparing Perioperative Education Modalities for ACL Reconstruction on Patient Satisfaction, Self-Efficacy, and Surgical Outcomes

The purpose of this research is to find out whether the way information about surgery is presented to patients affects patient satisfaction, knowledge retention, and surgical outcomes such as anxiety

Intraosseous Morphine Administration During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

The purpose of this study is to determine if intraosseous (IO) morphine decreases pain and post-operative opioid use in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Bracing and Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament for Efficacy Trial

Several attempts have been made to reduce these failure rates and improve return to sports rates in high-risk populations, and one of these approaches has been postoperative bracing. A recent survey of the Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) Study Group has shown that 53% of surgeons prefers functional bracing following ACL reconstruction. Currently, however, there is no clear consensus on whether functional bracing following ACL reconstruction leads to lower failure rates, improved stability or better patient-reported outcomes when compared to ACL reconstruction without bracing.

ACL Mechanical Property Changes in Female Collegiate Basketball Players During a Competitive Season

This prospective cohort study aims to investigate whether the mechanical properties of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) undergo measurable changes throughout a competitive basketball season in female collegiate athletes. Female athletes are at a significantly higher risk for non-contact ACL injuries compared to males. Beyond acute injuries, cumulative stress from high-intensity sports may lead to subclinical alterations in the ligament's biomechanical properties, potentially increasing injury risk. Using non-invasive shear wave elastography (SWE) and countermovement jump (CMJ) tests, the study will monitor 60 elite players before and after the University Basketball League (UBL) season. The findings will help identify potential signs of cumulative loading and contribute to the development of early detection markers for injury risk in female athletes.

Vibration on Patellofemoral Joint Pain After ACLR

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a prevailing problem among sports participants, especially in non-contact sports. Studies have reported that 70-84% of ACL injuries are non-contact in nature, and movements like changing in direction while running, cutting and pivoting on a planted foot have resulted in a majority of ACL injuries. Even after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) surgeries, study has reported a 30-50% prevalence of developing patellofemoral joint (PFJ) pain in 1-2 years post-operation. Whole body vibration (WBV) therapy has been gaining attention as an effective method of training in recent years. It has been proved to have a positive effect on improving muscle strength, muscle activities, muscle power and loading during drop jump. Though duration of WBV may differ according to the effect of interest, several studies have had positive results with a 8 week WBV therapy in increasing muscle strength, proprioception, and post-ACLR knee functions. Further investigation on the underlying mechanism and possible application are to be continued to explore more possibilities with the WBV therapy.

Neuromuscular Rehab for ACL Reconstruction: Knee Function & Brain Plasticity

This study focuses on patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and reconstruction, aiming to systematically investigate the clinical efficacy and underlying mechanisms of neuromuscular training in restoring knee joint function.Beyond examining improvements in local knee biomechanics, the research delves into brain plasticity changes during rehabilitation to reveal the central regulatory mechanisms of neuromuscular control.The findings are expected to provide a solid theoretical and empirical foundation for optimizing post-ACL rehabilitation strategies, fostering interdisciplinary integration from peripheral interventions to neural central regulation.