Can a brace after ACL surgery get athletes back in the game faster?
NCT ID NCT06942754
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether wearing a functional knee brace after ACL reconstruction helps athletes feel more ready to return to sports. 96 people aged 14-39 with a complete ACL tear who want to get back to sports will be enrolled. Half will wear a brace after surgery, half will not, and researchers will measure psychological readiness and fear of re-injury.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- DonJoy Defiance Pro brace
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that wearing a brace after ACL surgery helps athletes feel more confident and ready to return to sports.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 96 people. It may not prove that bracing reduces re-injury rates, and results may not apply to all athletes.
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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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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About 96 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 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 to 39 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: * patients with unilateral complete ACL injury * patients involved in sports and the desire to return to sports * patients undergoing quadriceps autograft ACL reconstruction * must be 14 to 39 years old Exclusion Criteria: * multiligamentous knee injuries defined as two ligaments requiring surgical stabilization * concomitant suture tape augmentation, extra-articular tenodesis or anterolateral ligament reconstruction * concomitant femoral, tibial, or patellar fracture(s) * patients with significant osteoarthritis * concomitant ipsilateral knee dislocation or patellar dislocation * significant lower leg malalignment requiring correcting osteotomies * prior ACL surgery, including contralateral knee * pregnancy during injury or surgery * unable to provide consent * prolonged use of prednisolone or cytostatics * comorbidities (e.g., muscular, neurological, vascular) that influence rehabilitation
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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.
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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Wake Forest University Health Sciences
RECRUITINGWinston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can online therapy boost ACL recovery and return to sport?
- Can a 3D-Printed gadget speed up knee recovery?
- Saving the ligament: a trial tests whether repairing a torn ACL beats replacing it
- Which tendon graft helps female athletes recover best after ACL surgery?