Effect of Contralateral NMES on Quadriceps Activation After ACL Injury or Surgery

ConditionACL Injury

Trial statusNot yet recruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexAll

Age18-50

SponsorSchulthess Klinik

About this trial

A major complication after cruciate ligament injury and surgery is arthrogenic muscle inhibition of the quadriceps, which is characterised by a deficit in voluntary muscle activation in the affected leg. This can hinder rehabilitation processes, lead to impaired knee function, and negatively impact the patients' quality of life. The primary objective of this study is to assess whether voluntary quadriceps activation on the injured side is facilitated by the concomitant application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the contralateral quadriceps.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Patients undergoing ACL surgery with semitendinosus tendon autograft in the Schulthess Clinic

Unilateral and primary ACL injury (with/without diagnoses of additional meniscus injury)

Disqualifiers

Previous surgery/ligament rupture in injured or uninjured knee or hip

Severe pain in the uninjured-side quadriceps or knee joint

Ongoing pregnancy

BMI >30 kg/m²

Trial design

Design model

Single group

Treatments tested in this trial

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
Device
Studies in healthy individuals have demonstrated that NMES applied to the quadriceps of one limb induces short-term increases in strength and neural drive in the contralateral homologous muscle. Since these effects have only been observed in healthy individuals, it is essential to investigate whether similar responses occur in ACL patients.

Treatment groups

25 Participants

are divided into 1 treatment group

Group A: Contralateral NMESExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

EMG activity

EMG data will be recorded from the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and rectus femoris muscles.

Time frame

Data will be collected at two time points: after ACL injury (within two weeks prior to surgery) and following ACL reconstruction (within three days post-surgery).

Locations

This trial has no locations.

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Schulthess Klinik

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: