Shockwaves could ease knee pain for athletes after ACL surgery
NCT ID NCT06686680
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study is testing whether extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) can reduce pain and improve function in athletes who developed knee osteoarthritis after ACL reconstruction. Researchers will treat 70 participants with a device that delivers pressure waves to the knee. The goal is to see if this non-invasive therapy helps with pain, movement, and joint health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-surgical option to reduce pain and improve knee function for people with post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 70 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy may cause temporary pain during treatment and might not provide lasting 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
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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 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
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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18 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: * Previous ACL reconstruction using an autograft or allograft in the knee with PTOA * Minimum of one year following ACL reconstruction surgery * Between ages of 18 and 55 * No clear contraindication to complete protocol including mechanical symptoms which would limit ability to complete the study * Score on KOOS for 2 of 4 domains (pain, symptoms, activities of daily living (ADL), quality of life (QOL)) of 85 or lower * Primary pain is coming from the knee * Diagnosis of PTOA based on clinical diagnosis and confirmation with radiographic evidence by a medical professional prior to study enrollment. If individuals have suspected OA based on impairments such as pain, they must have a score on KOOS for 2 of 4 domains (pain, symptoms, activities of daily living (ADL), quality of life (QOL)) of 85 or lower to participate in the study. Exclusion Criteria: * Have previously received injections to the knee joint within the past 3 months * Women who are pregnant or those who are planning to become pregnant. This is due to the fact that pregnancy will reduce participants activity after the treatment and the safety concerns related to shockwave treatment. - Participants with neuropathy affecting sensation to pain * Participants with a known underlying cardiac disease that could be affected by shockwave therapy * Chronic rheumatological conditions, immunodeficiency, severe asthma, connective tissue disorder (i.e. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), or other medical conditions (ex. active malignancy, severe asthma) outside of PTOA that are known to impact inflammatory state or requiring chronic use of oral or intravenous immune modulatory medications. Asthma requiring use of inhalers only is not an exclusion criteria * Neuropathy diagnosis that can affect response to pain * No active use of oral steroids or anti-inflammatories at the time of enrollment * Have bilateral ACL injury or reconstruction surgery, or have had ACL revision surgery * No active malignancy and at least five years in remission * Previous ESWT treatment using study treatment devices for management of knee osteoarthritis * Have a pacemaker, bone screws, or any other metal implants that would prohibit participation in an MRI scan or EWST * Non-English speaking individuals
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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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Spaulding Cambridge Hospital
RECRUITINGCambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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