Osteoporosis drug could strengthen knee rebuilds
NCT ID NCT05527548
First seen Aug 12, 2026 · Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether taking alendronate, a drug commonly used for osteoporosis, can improve knee function and stability after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. About 100 people undergoing their first ACL reconstruction will receive either alendronate or a placebo for a year. Researchers will measure knee stability, bone healing around the graft, muscle strength, and patient-reported symptoms to see if the drug helps recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- alendronate, an oral osteoporosis drug being tested to improve knee healing after ACL reconstruction
- What this could lead to
- If effective, alendronate could speed up recovery, improve knee stability, and reduce the risk of graft failure after ACL surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study, and results may not apply to everyone. Alendronate can cause stomach upset, and its benefit for ACL recovery is unproven.
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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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2022
- Expected to finish
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Jul 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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14 years and older
- 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: * Male and female with age 14 or above at the time of surgery * First ACLR * Single leg involvement * Able to attend pre-operative assessment * Voluntarily agreed to participate and signed the informed consent form Exclusion Criteria: * Known chronic disease or receiving long-term medications affecting bone metabolism including BPs * Contraindication to alendronate therapy such as poor dental fitness * ACL injury less than 6 weeks * Injury on duty cases * Patients who have undergone arthroscopy or open surgery in the index knee in the last 12 months * Other associated injuries (fractures and other ligament involvement such as neurovascular bundles injury) * Chondral lesion with concomitant intervention * Presence of X-ray features of osteoarthritis including decrease in joint space, presence of osteophytes and subchondral cysts * Neurological deficit * Pregnant or breastfeeding * Inability to give informed consent
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
1 site. 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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Prince of Wales Hospital
RECRUITINGShatin, Hong Kong
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Does an extra knee ligament procedure lead to arthritis later?