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Not Applicable

Neuromuscular Rehabilitation for ACL Injury Prevention in Athletes

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Nathaniel Bates, PhD

Research Sponsored by Mayo Clinic

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

No low back or lower extremity injury in the year prior to ACL injury necessitating medical care

Age, 13 to 30 years

Must not have

Mechanisms of injury involved a direct blow of force to the knee

Patients with MCL injury that exhibits unresolved medial knee instability

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up all 5 years of study

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial is looking to see if they can reduce the risk of second ACL injury in athletes by identifying risk groups and giving them different rehabilitation protocols.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for active athletes aged between 14 and 24 who have had their first ACL injury within the last 6 months. They should not have had previous knee surgeries, complex meniscus tears, or other recent injuries that required medical care. Participants must have been involved in sports requiring cutting, jumping, or pivoting for at least 50 hours a year.

What is being tested?

The study aims to reduce second ACL injuries by identifying high-risk individuals based on movement patterns and testing different rehab protocols after initial ACL reconstruction. The interventions being tested are HOME (home-based exercises) and TNMT (targeted neuromuscular training).

What are the potential side effects?

While specific side effects are not listed for this type of intervention, participants may experience general discomfort, muscle soreness, fatigue from exercises or potential aggravation of knee symptoms during rehabilitation.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

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I haven't had a lower back or leg injury requiring medical care in the year before my ACL injury.

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I am between 13 and 30 years old.

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I have a recent (less than 6 months) first-time ACL injury.

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I have never had knee surgery on either leg.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I injured my knee from a direct hit.

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My knee is unstable due to an untreated MCL injury.

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I have had knee surgery on either leg.

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I had a lower back or leg injury that needed medical attention before my ACL injury.

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I do not have complex meniscus tears or full thickness cartilage lesions.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ all 5 years of study

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~all 5 years of study

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and all 5 years of study for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Second ACL Injury

Secondary study objectives

Frontal plane knee kinematics

Frontal plane knee kinetics

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

3Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Active Control

Group I: TNMTExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Patients who are enrolled in the TNMT group will participate in 12 sessions of supervised outpatient physical therapy over a six week period. The TNMT protocol is distinguished by performance of exercises designed to enhance core and hip strength, performance of neuromuscular training exercise that are designed to correct movement flaws associated with second ACL injury25, providing verbal and visual feedback and performance of single leg drills on both legs.

Group II: HOMEExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

HOME Program is distinguished by patients participating in a home only intervention that consists of running and strengthening exercises performed twice a week for six weeks. No plyometric or agility drills are performed in this study arm. This represents the minimal intervention to prepare for a return to sports. No neuromuscular training or movement training beyond the sagittal plane will be performed.

Group III: STANActive Control1 Intervention

Patients in the STAN group will participate in twelve sessions of supervised physical therapy over a six week period. Patients will participate in agility and plyometric drills, and continue strength exercises from the previous treatment phase. The clinic program will be performed in conjunction with a home running program. Patients in this group will not receive feedback from the therapist regarding movement quality during activities.

0 / 9Eligibility criteria met