Could bone marrow heal a torn ACL without surgery?
NCT ID NCT06353503
First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing whether injecting a concentrated form of a patient's own bone marrow into the knee can help a completely torn anterior cruciate ligament heal. The study enrolls 20 people aged 20 to 55 with a confirmed ACL tear. Participants receive a single injection of bone marrow aspirate concentrate into the knee joint under ultrasound guidance, and researchers track knee stability and MRI changes over time.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate, a preparation of the patient's own bone marrow injected into the injured knee
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a way to heal a torn ACL using a person's own cells, possibly avoiding reconstructive surgery and its long recovery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small early study with 20 people, so results may not hold up in larger trials. The injection may not repair the ligament, and knee injection carries small risks of infection or bleeding.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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
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20 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2024
- Finished
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Sep 2026
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
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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20 to 55 years
- 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: 1- Confirmed diagnosis of complete or partial ACL tear via clinical examination and imaging studies. 2\. Aged between 20 and 55 years, to encompass the typical age range of patients with sports-related ACL injuries. Exclusion Criteria: 1- Patients with a history of bleeding disorders, as this could complicate the aspiration and injection procedures. 2\. Individuals with a history of malignancy, due to the potential risks associated with growth factors present in BMAC. 3\. Critically ill patients or those with comorbidities
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Ministry of Health
Baghdad, Iraq, 964, Iraq
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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