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Knee surgery showdown: which graft works best for torn ACL?

NCT ID NCT04295148

Disease control Sponsor: Karolinska Institutet Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study compares two common surgical grafts used to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL): the semitendinosus hamstring tendon and the quadriceps tendon-bone graft. Researchers will enroll 200 active adults who recently tore their ACL and plan to return to sports. The main goal is to see which graft provides better knee stability and patient-reported function over time.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
ACL reconstruction surgery using either a semitendinosus tendon graft or a quadriceps tendon-bone graft
What this could lead to
If successful, this study could show which graft type leads to better knee stability and function after ACL surgery, helping surgeons choose the best option for active patients.
What could go wrong
This is a relatively small, early-stage trial (200 participants) comparing two established surgical techniques, so differences may be small or not apply to all patients. As with any surgery, risks include infection, graft failure, and complications from anesthesia.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 200 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2020

Expected to finish

May 2035

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

16 to 40 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Pre-injury Tegner Activity Scale≥7 * Intended return to sports to prior sport and Tegner Activity Scale Level * Time between injury and inclusion not more than 6 months * MR verified ACL rupture Exclusion Criteria: * Previous knee injury with symptoms before ACL injury * Neurological disease, inflammatory disease, connective tissue disease or balance disorder * Previous lower limb fracture or surgery * Laxity in the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) \> grade 1 * PCL rupture or Multiligament knee injury (MLKI) * Radiographic sign of osteoarthritis (OA) * Previous knee surgery or ligament injury in contralateral knee * Beighton score ≥ 5

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries Anterior cruciate ligament rupture Anterior cruciate ligament tear

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Capio Artro Clinic AB

    RECRUITING

    Stockholm, Stockholm County, 11428, Sweden

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