New MRI scanner could spot ACL tears without surgery
NCT ID NCT07366619
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a new type of MRI scanner called Magic Angle Directional Imaging (MADI) that can move around the patient to get clearer images of ligaments and tendons. Researchers will scan 20 adults scheduled for ACL repair surgery to see if MADI can diagnose tears more accurately than standard MRI. If it works, it may help doctors plan surgeries better and reduce the need for exploratory arthroscopy.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Magic Angle Directional Imaging (MADI) MRI scanner
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a more accurate, non-surgical way to diagnose ACL tears and other ligament injuries, potentially reducing the need for exploratory surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early study with only 20 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The new scanner is a prototype and may not be widely available for years.
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.
- Participants
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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
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.
Who is studied
Before a patient can enter the study, they will have undergone a clinically indicated MRI for knee pathology which diagnosed an ACL injury requiring surgery.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * adults aged 18 - 65 years * selected for ligament repair surgery * ability to give informed consent, either written or e-consent * no contraindications to MRI * BMI ≤ 28 or thigh circumference less than 47 cm at approximately 7.5cm above the joint line Exclusion Criteria: * acutely unwell or frail patients in whom extension of scanning time may not be tolerated or may delay treatment * contraindications to MRI * participants who are too big to be able to fit in the prototype scanner * recent surgery to the affected joint * severe pain * pregnant and/or breastfeeding participants
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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
2 sites. 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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Imperial College London
RECRUITINGLondon, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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Imperial College NHS Trust, Department of Surgery and Cancer
RECRUITINGLondon, W6 8RF, United Kingdom
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can ACL surgery recovery skip the opioids?
- Can a surgical device prevent stiff knee after ACL surgery?
- Can a meniscus implant keep knees working years later?
- 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