Could a bioinductive implant strengthen ankle ligament repair?
NCT ID NCT07708584
First seen Jul 16, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study compares two surgical approaches for chronic lateral ankle instability: the standard Brostrom repair and a version augmented with a bioinductive implant called BioBrace. The goal is to see if adding the implant improves pain, function, and return to activity. The trial enrolls adults aged 18–65 with chronic ankle instability who have not had prior ankle surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Brostrom repair with BioBrace bioinductive implant
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that adding a bioinductive implant to standard ankle ligament repair leads to better pain relief and faster return to activity.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage study, and the implant may not provide meaningful benefit over standard surgery. There is also a risk of complications such as infection or implant failure.
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
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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
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About 75 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Age 18-65 years * Chronic lateral ankle instability (\>3 months) confirmed by clinical examination (positive anterior drawer test or talar tilt \>10°) and imaging (stress X-ray or MRI). * No prior ankle surgery on the affected limb. * Willingness to follow postoperative visits and rehabilitation protocols and filling out the patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) forms. Exclusion Criteria: * BMI\>40 * Significant secondary procedures done at the time of repair, including micro-fracture, or any other treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus or tibia. * Concomitant deltoid ligament insufficiency. * Any worker's compensation case or any subject with a history of infection of the ankle predating the ankle repair. Current orthopedic issues, not related to the ankle, that prevented the patient from performing the functional tests. * Concomitant osteochondral lesions, significant degenerative changes, or severe varus/valgus deformity, neuromuscular disorders or non-adherence concerns. * Pregnant * Diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or other connective tissue / hyperlaxity disorder. * Prior revision ankle ligament surgery on the affected limb (any revision Broström or lateral ligament reconstruction).
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Brigham and Women's Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
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