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Steps Towards Osteoarthritis Prevention

Steps Towards Osteoarthritis Prevention: A Pilot Study

Who can join

Ages 16 to 40 · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* 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 Criteria:

* 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

About the study

Optimal knee joint loading, which refers to the forces acting on the knee caused by daily activities such as daily steps, plays an essential role in maintaining knee articular cartilage health and reducing the risk of osteoarthritis (OA). After anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), individuals take fewer daily steps as compared to uninjured controls resulting in insufficient knee joint loading to joint tissues, but it is unclear how changes in daily steps impact knee joint cartilage health in OA development. Therefore, the overall single arm, longitudinal pre-test post-test study objective is to determine the mechanistic links between knee joint loading as measured by daily steps and comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of knee joint cartilage health post-ACLR. The central hypothesis is that individuals post-ACLR who take low daily steps will demonstrate deconditioned, less resilient cartilage characterized by poor tibiofemoral cartilage composition and greater cartilage strain.

What is being tested

• Adaptive Daily Step Promotion (behavioral)

Sponsor: University of Georgia · Participants: 56 · Started: Sep 23, 2024

Contact the study team

• Caroline Lisee, PhD · Phone: 706-542-7137

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06193343

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.