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Knee tear: does surgery beat physical therapy?

NCT ID NCT05985772

Disease control Sponsor: Rush University Medical Center 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study compares two approaches for a specific type of knee tear called a posterior-medial meniscal root tear. Half the participants will receive surgery to repair the tear, while the other half will receive non-operative care, including pain medication and physical therapy. The goal is to see which approach better reduces pain, improves knee function, and preserves joint health over time. The trial includes adults with this tear confirmed by MRI and will track outcomes like pain scores and arthritis progression.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Surgical repair of the medial meniscus root versus non-operative pain management and physical therapy
What this could lead to
If surgery proves better, it could establish a standard for treating this tear, potentially slowing knee arthritis and improving long-term function.
What could go wrong
The trial is relatively small and early, and surgery carries standard surgical risks. Non-operative care may work just as well, and results may not apply to all patients.

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 140 people

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

Started

Apr 2022

Expected to finish

Mar 2030

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

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

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

Inclusion Criteria: * MRI-verified isolated tibial medial meniscus root tear * Subject must be 18 years of age or older Exclusion Criteria: * Concurrent ligamentous knee pathology requiring surgical intervention (i.e. anterior cruciate ligament tear, posterior cruciate ligament tear, posterolateral corner injury, high-grade medial collateral ligament tear), * Preoperative Kellgren-Lawrence grade of 3 or 4 * Inability to complete outcome questionnaires or comply with required postoperative imaging or MRI requirements, or medical contraindications to surgery or physical therapy. * There will be no exclusion criteria regarding body mass index (BMI) or mechanical alignment, however subjects will be stratified in groups for further analysis (BMI less and over 35 and varus alignment below and over 3º of varus). * Pregnancy * Subjects \< 18 years of age

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Tibial Meniscus Injuries

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Meniscus tear, tibial

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

  • Rush University Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States

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