Can ACL surgery recovery skip the opioids?
NCT ID NCT06561035
First seen Sep 15, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are comparing two pain-control plans for people having anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. One plan uses a mix of non-opioid medicines to spare or reduce opioid painkillers, while the other follows a standard opioid-based approach. The trial measures pain scores and how many opioid pills participants take after surgery. It also tracks side effects. The study enrolls people aged 14 to 85 who are having primary ACL reconstruction, with or without related knee procedures.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a pain-control plan that uses non-opioid medicines alongside or instead of opioid painkillers
- What this could lead to
- If the opioid-sparing plan controls pain as well as standard opioid painkillers, it could give patients having ACL surgery a way to recover with fewer or no opioid pills.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is small, with 56 planned participants, and results may not apply to people with more complex knee injuries or other surgeries. Some patients may still need opioids for adequate pain relief.
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 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
-
About 56 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Sep 2024
- Expected to finish
-
Mar 2028
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
-
14 to 85 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: * 14-85 years of age. * Patients undergoing primary ACL-R with or without meniscus repair or meniscectomy, with or without chondroplasty. * Patients weigh at least 90lbs at time of enrollment. * Surgery scheduled at a Campbell Clinic Surgery Center (Midtown or Wolf River). * Willing and able to provide written informed consent. * Willing and able to cooperate with postoperative therapy. * Speak and read fluent English. Exclusion Criteria: * Multiligament knee reconstruction. * Pre-injury opioid consumption. * Substance abuse disorder (illicit drug abuse, alcoholism, etc). * Concomitant injuries or surgeries warranting pain medication (i.e. polytrauma patient). * Chronic pain syndrome. * Renal disease. * Currently taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and/or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. * Known sensitivity, allergy, or intolerance to medications within protocols. * History of diabetes. * Currently taking glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist. * Female patient who is pregnant on day of surgery or becomes pregnant during study period.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anterior cruciate ligament injuries 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
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
-
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
-
Campbell Clinic
Memphis, Tennessee, 38138, United States
-
Endeavor Health
Skokie, Illinois, 60076, United States
-
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio, 45267, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a surgical device prevent stiff knee after ACL surgery?
- 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?
- Nerve block showdown: which technique eases ACL surgery pain best?