Could a common drug stop arthritis after a torn ACL?
NCT ID NCT03552705
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether tranexamic acid (TXA), a drug that reduces bleeding, can lower inflammation and protect joint health after an ACL tear. Fifty people aged 18-30 with a recent ACL injury will receive either TXA or a placebo around the time of surgery. The goal is to see if TXA can prevent or delay post-traumatic osteoarthritis, which often develops years after such injuries.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- tranexamic acid (TXA)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple way to prevent or delay arthritis after ACL injuries.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial (50 people) testing a short-term effect. The drug may not meaningfully reduce arthritis risk, and results may not apply to everyone.
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
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Aug 2019
- Expected to finish
-
Jan 2027
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 to 30 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 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: * age 18-30 years * within 4 days of unilateral ACL injury * presence of effusion/hemarthrosis. Exclusion Criteria: * inflammatory arthritis, radiographic osteoarthritis (K-L Grade 2 or higher), gout/ pseudogout * systemic or acute illness requiring medications * concomitant knee injury aside from meniscus tear and MCL tear not requiring surgery * prior surgery to either knee * prior injury to either knee requiring crutches * history of thromboembolic disease * current use of combination hormonal contraception * chronic NSAID use * cortisone injection to either knee within the prior 3 months * not indicated for or unable to undergo ACLR within 3 months of injury
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
Stanford University
RECRUITINGStanford, California, 94305, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- 24 sensors map muscle oxygen after ACL surgery
- Can the ankle fully recover after donating a tendon for ACL repair?
- Can magnetic pulses rebuild hamstring strength after ACL surgery?
- Video game for the brain: could neurofeedback supercharge Post-Surgery recovery?
- New numbing technique may ease ACL surgery pain without extra opioids
- Scientists track hidden muscle delays after ACL repair