Clinical Research Directory

A Paradigm Shift in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Assessment After ACL Reconstruction Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

This study aims to establish and compare muscle haemodynamic response patterns in physically active subjects with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, at different time points after surgery, against healthy controls, using 24 non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) devices simultaneously during a single incremental interval cycling test. Muscle haemodynamics has so far been assessed using at most 2-3 near-infrared spectroscopy devices on isolated muscles and without correlating variables. At the same time, research on musculoskeletal pathologies is limited, and there are no studies that analyse the haemodynamic changes that occur when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is injured and whether these changes last over time. This is a multicentre, observational, case-control, cross-sectional study, approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital (CEIC-3203), that will include males aged 18-65 years who have undergone ACL reconstruction, divided into three groups: less than 6 months since surgery (ACL1), more than 2 years since surgery with normalised physical activity (ACL2), and a healthy control group with no history of ACL injury. Recruitment has not yet started and is expected to begin in October 2026