New Care Pathway Using Automated Dynamic Laximetry

Launched by UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, ANGERS · Jun 11, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring a new way to diagnose and manage knee sprains, especially those that might involve damage to the important ligaments inside the knee (like the ACL). Usually, an MRI scan is used to confirm the injury and decide on the best treatment. This study is testing whether a tool called Automated Dynamic Laximetry (ADL), which measures knee stability, can be used right after an emergency room visit instead of waiting for an MRI. The goal is to speed up diagnosis, reduce the time the knee needs to be immobilized, and lower healthcare costs. MRIs would still be used later only for specific cases, such as when surgery might be needed.

Adults 18 years and older who come to a participating emergency department with a knee injury suspected to involve the ACL but no bone fracture may be eligible. To join, patients must agree to participate, have social security coverage, and be able to follow up at the study center. People who cannot have an MRI or ADL test, need urgent surgery, cannot communicate well in French, or have other specific conditions (like pregnancy or certain legal or health restrictions) would not be able to join. Participants can expect to have the ADL test soon after their injury and follow their care based on its results, possibly reducing the need for an MRI. This study aims to improve how quickly and efficiently knee sprains are diagnosed and treated.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patient admitted to an emergency department participating in the study
• • Age ≥ 18 years
• • Consulted following knee trauma and whose clinical examination leads to the suspicion of a partial or complete ACL lesion without bone fracture (supporting radiograph).
• • Signed consent to participate in the study
• • Affiliated to a social security scheme
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Contraindication to MRI (pacemaker fitted before 2010) or LDA;
• • Indication for emergency or semi-emergency trauma surgery (within 3 weeks: suspected unstable meniscal lesion, fracture, etc.).
• • Impossible follow-up or patient's refusal of follow-up in the investigating center's sports medicine department;
• • Poor understanding of the French language
• • Pregnant (known or suspected pregnancy), breast-feeding or parturient woman;
• • Person deprived of liberty by judicial or administrative decision;
• • Person under compulsory psychiatric care;
• • Person subject to a legal protection measure
• • Person unable to give consent