Knee cartilage repair study halted early – too few patients to draw conclusions

NCT ID NCT04184687

Terminated Disease control Sponsor: Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study aimed to see if a procedure called nanofractures could help repair cartilage damage in the knee at the same time as ACL reconstruction. Only 4 people took part before the study was stopped early. Because of the very small number of participants, no meaningful conclusions can be drawn about whether nanofractures are helpful or not.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: Nanofractures (a surgical procedure to stimulate cartilage repair)
What this could lead to: If successful, this approach could improve knee function and cartilage healing after ACL surgery.
What could go wrong: The study was terminated early with only 4 participants, so results are very limited and not reliable. It is unclear if nanofractures offer any benefit over standard ACL reconstruction alone.

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

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

CARTILAGE INJURY CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RUPTURE

Contacts and locations

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Locations

Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli

Bologna, Italy

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