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Steps Towards Osteoarthritis Prevention After ACL Reconstruction

This study, called "Steps Towards Osteoarthritis Prevention," is looking at how daily steps affect the health of knee cartilage after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. Researchers believe that the forces on your knee from daily activities, like walking, are important for keeping your cartilage healthy and preventing osteoarthritis (OA), a condition that causes joint pain and stiffness. If you've had ACL reconstruction between 6 months and 5 years ago, are between 16 and 40 years old, and are willing to wear a Fitbit, you might be able to join. The study will measure your daily steps using a Fitbit and use MRI scans to look at your knee cartilage. The goal is to understand how changes in daily steps impact knee cartilage health and the development of OA.

Study design
This is a single-arm, longitudinal pre-test post-test study aiming to enroll 56 participants. It is an interventional study, meaning participants will receive a specific intervention.
What's involved
Participants will wear a Fitbit monitor on their non-dominant wrist during all waking hours for a 10 to 14 day screening period and throughout the study. MRI scans of the knee will be performed at the beginning of the study.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
The primary endpoints, T2 relaxation times in various parts of the knee, are measured at pre-intervention (baseline).

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06193343

Steps Towards Osteoarthritis Prevention

Recruiting
NAAges 16–40InterventionalTreatment
University of Georgia
~56 participants
Updated 2026-04-29 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Adaptive Daily Step Promotion

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
T2 relaxation times in the medial femoral condyle
Measured over pre-intervention (baseline)
+16 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

Explore related trials

Injury of anterior cruciate ligament

NCT06193343

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • University of Georgia

    Athens, Georgiastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Study leadership

  • Caroline Lisee, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Georgia

Who to contact

Caroline Lisee, PhD
[email protected]
706-542-7137
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
For children, signed and dated informed assent by child and parental permission form by parent/guardian to participate in the study
Underwent an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) between 6-60 months prior to enrollment
Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and lifestyle considerations and availability for the duration of the study
Completed all other formal physical therapy and therapeutic exercise regimens, and will not be engaging in any other formal therapy for their ACLR during the study
Physician clearance for unrestricted activity
Owning a smartphone
Demonstrate \< 8,000 steps per day during the screening phase of aim 2 as assessed using the Actigraph Link monitor

Exclusion

Underwent an ACLR revision surgery due to a previous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft injury
A multiple ligament surgery was indicated with their ACL injury
A lower extremity fracture was suffered during the ACL injury
The participant has previously been diagnosed with any diseases that affect joints is present in either knee including knee osteoarthritis inflammatory arthritis
Pregnant or plans to become pregnant over next 4 months
Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 36 kg/m2
Unable to speak English
Cochlear implant
Metal in body (metal fragments, shrapnel, permanent make-up, body piercings that cannot be removed)
Claustrophobia
History of seizures
Pacemaker

What this trial measures

  • T2 relaxation times in the medial femoral condylepre-intervention (baseline)

    MRI marker of T2 relaxation times of medial femoral articular cartilage (i.e collagen organization) at pre-intervention (baseline)

  • T2 relaxation times in the lateral femoral condylepre-intervention (baseline)

    MRI marker of T2 relaxation times of lateral femoral articular cartilage (i.e collagen organization) at pre-intervention (baseline)

  • T2 relaxation times in the medial tibial condylepre-intervention (baseline)

    MRI marker of T2 relaxation times of medial tibial articular cartilage (i.e collagen organization) at pre-intervention (baseline)

  • T2 relaxation times in the lateral tibial condylepre-intervention (baseline)

    MRI marker of T2 relaxation times of lateral tibial articular cartilage (i.e collagen organization) at pre-intervention (baseline)

  • Change in T2 relaxation times in the medial femoral condylepre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (~18 weeks)

    Change in MRI marker of T2 relaxation times of medial femoral articular cartilage (i.e collagen organization) from pre-intervention to post-intervention

  • Change in T2 relaxation times in the lateral femoral condylepost-intervention (~18 weeks)

    Change in MRI marker of T2 relaxation times of lateral femoral articular cartilage (i.e collagen organization) from pre-intervention to post-intervention

  • Change in T2 relaxation times in the medial tibial condylepre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (~18 weeks)

    Change in MRI marker of T2 relaxation times of medial tibial articular cartilage (i.e collagen organization) from pre-intervention to post-intervention

  • Change T2 relaxation times in the lateral tibial condylepre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (~18 weeks)

    Change in MRI marker of T2 relaxation times of lateral tibial articular cartilage (i.e collagen organization) from pre-intervention to post-intervention

  • Average cartilage strain in the medial femoral condylepre-intervention (baseline)

    MRI marker of cartilage strain (i.e., acute change in cartilage thickness/resting cartilage thickness) of medial femoral articular cartilage at pre-intervention (baseline)

  • Average cartilage strain in the lateral femoral condylepre-intervention (baseline)

    MRI marker of cartilage strain (i.e., acute change in cartilage thickness/resting cartilage thickness) of lateral femoral articular cartilage at pre-intervention (baseline)

  • Average cartilage strain in the medial tibial condylepre-intervention (baseline)

    MRI marker of cartilage strain (i.e., acute change in cartilage thickness/resting cartilage thickness) of medial tibial articular cartilage at pre-intervention (baseline)

  • Average cartilage strain in the lateral tibial condylepre-intervention (baseline)

    MRI marker of cartilage strain (i.e., acute change in cartilage thickness/resting cartilage thickness) of lateral tibial articular cartilage at pre-intervention (baseline)

  • Change in average cartilage strain in the medial femoral condylepre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (~18 weeks)

    Change in MRI marker of cartilage strain (i.e., acute change in cartilage thickness/resting cartilage thickness) of medial femoral articular cartilage from pre-intervention to post-intervention

  • Change in average cartilage strain in the lateral femoral condylepre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (~18 weeks)

    Change in MRI marker of cartilage strain (i.e., acute change in cartilage thickness/resting cartilage thickness) of lateral femoral articular cartilage from pre-intervention to post-intervention

  • Change in average cartilage strain in the medial tibial condylepre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (~18 weeks)

    Change in MRI marker of cartilage strain (i.e., acute change in cartilage thickness/resting cartilage thickness) of medial tibial articular cartilage from pre-intervention to post-intervention

  • Change in average cartilage strain in the lateral tibial condylepre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (~18 weeks)

    Change in MRI marker of cartilage strain (i.e., acute change in cartilage thickness/resting cartilage thickness) of lateral tibial articular cartilage from pre-intervention to post-intervention

  • Daily stepsPre-intervention (baseline)

    Average steps per day over 7 day physical activity monitor wear at pre-intervention (baseline)