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Which ACL graft gets young athletes back in the game faster?

NCT ID NCT04039971

Disease control Sponsor: University of Colorado, Denver Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial compares two surgical techniques for ACL reconstruction in adolescents aged 12 to 19: using a quadriceps tendon graft with a bone block versus an all-soft-tissue graft. The goal is to see which approach leads to a quicker return to sports and a lower chance of re-rupture. Participants are randomly assigned to one of the two procedures and followed for both short- and long-term outcomes.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Quadriceps tendon autograft (tendon-bone vs. all-soft-tissue)
What this could lead to
If one technique proves superior, it could help young athletes return to sports faster and reduce the risk of re-tearing their ACL.
What could go wrong
This is a single-center trial with 150 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. Surgical skill and individual healing also play a big role in outcomes.

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 150 people

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

Started

Aug 2020

Expected to finish

Aug 2029

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

12 to 19 years

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: * Males and females * Patients ages 12 to 19 (inclusive) * Patients undergoing primary ACL reconstruction Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with an underlying neuromuscular diagnosis or neurological injury * Patients with lower extremity fractures, dislocations, or multi-ligamentous injuries, which required surgery, concurrent with or occurring two years or less prior to primary ACL injury. * Patients with an underlying systemic or musculoskeletal diagnosis

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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

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Children's Hospital Colorado

    Aurora, Colorado, 80045, United States

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