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Determining the Effects of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation to Improve Quadriceps Muscle Function After ACL Reconstruction

NCT07128602 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 42

Last updated 2026-05-07

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

After knee surgery for a torn ACL, many women struggle with weak thigh muscles for years, partly due to reduced brain signals to these muscles. Our research tests a new approach to improve recovery by using low-level brain stimulation to boost these signals. The investigators will study 42 women, aged 18-35, who had ACL surgery. They'll be split into two groups: one receiving real brain stimulation and another getting a placebo, both during thigh-strengthening exercises. Over six sessions, the investigators measure thigh muscle strength, speed, and steadiness, plus two brain signal measures, using special equipment. The investigators will also check if stronger brain signals lead to better muscle performance, especially in women. Our goal is to show that this new method strengthens thigh muscles better than standard rehab, helping women recover better after surgery. If successful, this could improve physical therapy for women recovering from ACL surgery, making daily activities and return to sport easier.

Conditions

  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Rehabilitation
  • Quadriceps Muscle Function

Interventions

DEVICE

active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

20 minutes of anodal tDCS over the primary motor cortex contralateral to the participants surgical limb during a quadriceps torque matching task

DEVICE

sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Participants receive sham tDCS in which the device only delivers current during the first and last 30 seconds while participants perform a quadriceps torque matching task

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

    collaborator NIH

  • Arcadia University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
35 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-06-06
Primary Completion
2028-01-31
Completion
2028-03-01
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

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 NCT07128602 on ClinicalTrials.gov