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The Biomechanical Outcomes of Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation

NCT06921889 · Status: RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 47

Last updated 2026-05-07

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Injury to the knee can damage the lining of the knee's bones, called cartilage. Cartilage injuries cause pain and limit movement, making activities like walking, playing sports, and working difficult.

Cartilage cannot repair itself well, so surgery is often needed to repair it. People who have cartilage repair surgery want to return to normal activities after their operation. Doctors and scientists know the operation can reduce pain, but do not fully understand how it affects movement.

This research will help us see if knee function gets better after cartilage repair surgery. The results will help doctors and patients understand what to expect from the surgery. It could also uncover common problems after surgery that could be fixed with physiotherapy.

This research is important because untreated cartilage injuries can develop into arthritis later in life. Arthritis is a painful lifelong condition that could be prevented by effectively treating the cartilage injury.

In this study, adult patients who are waiting to have a type of cartilage repair surgery called 'autologous chondrocyte implantation' (ACI) at one of 7 hospitals will be invited to take part in the study by their surgeon. Patients who decide to take part will be invited to two appointments at their own hospital, where assessments of their knee function will be performed. The tests will assess the knee's movement, and the patient's balance and walking abilities. The first research appointment will take place before the operation, and the second and final appointment will take place 6-months after surgery. The results of this study will help us understand how knee function changes after cartilage repair surgery.

The study will take place across 7 ACI centres in England, and is funded by Orthopaedic Research UK and the British Association for Surgery of the Knee.

Conditions

  • Chondral Defect

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI)

ACI is a two-stage process that utilises the patient's own chondrocytes to repair damaged chondral tissue. After a harvesting procedure to obtain the cells, the chondrocytes are cultured and expanded in a specialised laboratory. A second procedure is then performed to implant the cells into the defect to replace and regenerate the injured cartilage. ACI allows the knee to generate durable and hyaline-like repair tissue.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Manchester

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Gwenllian F Tawy, PhD · University of Manchester

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-04-22
Primary Completion
2026-07-13
Completion
2026-07-13

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06921889 on ClinicalTrials.gov