Post-Traumatic Knee Osteoarthritis Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Launched by UNIVERSITAIRE ZIEKENHUIZEN KU LEUVEN · Dec 28, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying the effects of knee joint mechanics in people who have had surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The goal is to understand how these mechanics change in the first two years after surgery and how they relate to the health of the knee cartilage. This is important because many people develop arthritis in their knees after ACL injuries, and understanding these changes can help improve treatment and recovery.

To participate in the study, you need to be between 18 and 35 years old and either be a healthy volunteer (with no ACL injuries) or someone who has recently had or will have ACL reconstruction surgery using their own hamstring tissue. Healthy volunteers should be active and have a body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 30. The study is currently looking for participants, and those who join can expect to contribute to valuable research that could benefit future patients with similar knee injuries. It’s also important to know that certain pre-existing conditions or significant knee injuries may prevent someone from participating.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria (healthy volunteers):
• • Age: 18-35 years
• • No previous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury
• • Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18-30
• • Regular physical activity (active during work or practicing sports regularly)
• • Signed informed consent to participate
• Exclusion Criteria (healthy volunteers):
• • Major injuries to the lower extremities with absence from sports or daily life activities longer than 2 weeks or that required surgery, less than 6 months before participation
• • Pre-existing arthritic disease including inflammatory or infectious arthritis
• Inclusion Criteria (ACL patients):
• • Age: 18-35 years
• • ACL tear which is recently reconstructed or will be reconstructed after enrollment in the current study (the reconstruction will take place within 6 months after injury) with a Hamstring autograft
• • BMI between 18-30
• • Regular physical activity (active during work or practicing sports regularly)
• • Signed informed consent to participate
• Exclusion Criteria (ACL patients):
• • Major injuries to the lower extremities with absence from sports or daily life activities longer than 2 weeks or that required surgery, less than 6 months before participation
• • Pre-existing arthritic disease including inflammatory or infectious arthritis
• • Image based confirmation of local cartilage lesion grade 4 or major cartilage damage (Kellgren \& Lawrence \> 2)
• • Medial collateral ligament damage (\> grade 2)
• • Intra-articular knee fractures
• • Menisectomy with \<80% remnant