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NCT Number: NCT07389850

Evaluation of the Evolution of Proprioceptive Reweighting Abilities Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is the most common knee injury among athletes who play contact sports involving pivoting. ACL reconstruction (ACLR) combined with rehabilitation is the standard treatment for ACL tears in athletes, and rehabilitation is one of the keys to success. The overall return to sport rate is 80%, but the return to pre-injury level of sport is only 65% and the return to the same level of competition is only 55%. The recurrence rate is close to 20%.

During rehabilitation and sports practice, proprioceptive information is essential for adjusting the muscle sensorimotor loop and enabling optimal movement.

Athletes can thus be classified as plastic or rigid . Our hypothesis is to show that the proportion of "plastic" patients 9 months post-operative following ACL reconstruction is higher than that found in the same population 3 months post-operative, thus demonstrating the progression of proprioceptive integration abilities after ACL reconstruction surgery.

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Key information

Conditions

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture With Ligamentoplasty

Age range

15 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Brest University Hospital, Brest, France

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About this study

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is the most common knee injury among athletes who play contact sports involving pivoting. ACL reconstruction (ACLR) combined with rehabilitation is the standard treatment for ACL tears in athletes, and rehabilitation is one of the keys to success. The overall return to sport rate is 80%, but the return to pre-injury level of sport is only 65% and the return to the same level of competition is only 55%. The recurrence rate is close to 20%. Although the number of studies on the subject is growing, there is currently no consensus on rehabilitation protocols.

During rehabilitation and sports practice, proprioceptive information is essential for adjusting the muscle sensorimotor loop and enabling optimal movement.

We have demonstrated that athletes and athletes after ACL reconstruction show variability in the integration of proprioceptive information during a complex balance task.

Athletes can thus be classified as plastic (able to vary the source of proprioceptive information depending on conditions) or rigid (unable to do so).

Our hypothesis is to show that the proportion of "plastic" patients 9 months post-operative following ACL reconstruction is higher than that found in the same population 3 months post-operative, thus demonstrating the progression of proprioceptive integration abilities after ACL reconstruction surgery.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged between 15 and 40;
  • Patients with ACL rupture scheduled for ACL reconstruction surgery;
  • Patients able to maintain a stable bipedal standing position without technical assistance and with their eyes closed;
  • Consent of the patient, parents, legal guardians, or guardians to the recording (for minor patients) of data for research and publication purposes.

Exclusion criteria

  • Recent osteoarticular pathology (i.e., less than three months) of the lower limbs, whether traumatic or not, other than ACL rupture;
  • Proven disabling neurological pathology;
  • Pain in the musculoskeletal system during exercise (excluding the operated knee);
  • Fatigue assessed using the Borg scale > 6;
  • Skin allergy to an adhesive product.

Treatment and study plan

ReproEVO intervention

Procedure

After the inclusion visit, each assessment will include an examination of standing balance in two support conditions: hard floor or soft floor and two conditions of vibration of the Achilles tendons or lumbar muscles, performed randomly over five trials for each condition. The subjects stand with their eyes covered by an opaque mask. Vibrators are positioned at both locations and vibrated randomly after a trial without recording to perceive the destabilizing effect induced by the vibration. The data is recorded using a force platform on the floor.

Subjects will be seated and strapped into a rigid device attached to their leg. The device is connected to a motor that maintains a constant speed. Maximum strength will be measured at two different speeds.

Finally, at each assessment, the subjects will complete questionnaires about their fear of pain, their assessment of their knee's capabilities, and the activities they engage in.

Primary outcomes

  1. Assessment of progress in proprioceptive reweighting after knee ligament reconstruction

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after surgery and 9 months after surgery

    Difference between the mean proprioceptive reweighting coefficient (RPw) preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively

Secondary outcomes

  1. Assesment of the variation in weighting between before and after the operation

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months postoperatively

    Difference between the mean proprioceptive reweighting coefficient (RPw) preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively

  2. Assess postural control

    Time frame: Baseline, at 3 months postoperatively and at 9 months postoperatively

    Difference in the size of the shift in the center of pressure in a static standing position, with eyes open and closed

  3. Assess your Anterior Cruciate Ligament - Return to Sport and Injury (ACL-RSI) perception score

    Time frame: Baseline, at 3 months postoperatively and at 9 months postoperatively

    Assess your Anterior Cruciate Ligament - Return to Sport and Injury (ACL-RSI) perception score (0 : Not at all sure; 10: Completely safe) at the inclusion visit (preoperative); at 3 months postoperatively and at 9 months postoperatively

  4. Assess the subjective IKDC activity score

    Time frame: Baseline, at 3 months postoperatively and at 9 months postoperatively

    Assess the subjective IKDC activity score (0: Never; 10: Always) at the inclusion visit (preoperative); at 3 months postoperatively and at 9 months postoperatively.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Olivier REMY-NERIS, Professor

CONTACT

[email protected]

+33298223152

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Brest

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluation of the Evolution of Proprioceptive Reweighting Abilities Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery - ReproEVO

Acronym: ReproEVO

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2028
First posted
Feb 5, 2026
Registry last updated
Feb 5, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.