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Could the pill shield female athletes from knee injuries?

NCT ID NCT04899778

Prevention Sponsor: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Female college athletes tear their ACL more often than men, and hormones may play a role. This study enrolls women who play basketball, soccer, or volleyball at two universities, some taking a common birth control pill and some not. Researchers measure relaxin levels in the blood and knee laxity to see whether the pill changes joint stability in ways that could affect injury risk.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
a common combined oral contraceptive pill containing norethindrone acetate, ethinyl estradiol, and iron
What this could lead to
If the pill changes knee stability, it could offer a simple way to lower ACL injury risk in female athletes. It could also help explain why women tear this ligament more often than men.
What could go wrong
The study is small and looks at hormone levels and knee movement, not whether injuries actually drop. Birth control pills carry known risks, and any link to injury risk may turn out to be weak or absent.

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

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

73 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Sep 2021

Finished

Jun 2024

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

18 years and older

Sex

Female participants only

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: * Female * 18 years of age or older * Currently playing basketball, soccer, or volleyball at Loyola Marymount or Pepperdine * If not currently on COC, regular menstrual cycle occurring every 21-35 days Exclusion Criteria: * Previous ACL injury * Underlying neuromuscular disease * Medical contraindication to COC use * History of pregnancy * Desire to conceive in the next year

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

ligament disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Ligament injury

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Cedars Sinai Medical Center

    Los Angeles, California, 90048, United States

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