Advanced MRI to monitor knee joint health after an ACL tear

Multinuclear MRI to Assess Joint Homeostasis after Knee Injury

NIH-funded research New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11233249

This project uses a special MRI that images both water and sodium in knee cartilage to learn how joints change after an ACL tear or reconstruction.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNew York University School of Medicine NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11233249 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would get new MRI scans that capture both proton (water) and sodium signals to show structural and biochemical changes in knee cartilage. Doctors will also collect small samples of joint fluid and measure your knee strength and activity to link those lab markers with the images. The team will compare these measures early after injury to how the knee looks and works later on to spot patterns that lead to osteoarthritis. The goal is to find early changes that could guide treatments before lasting joint damage develops.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are people who recently experienced an ACL tear or who have had ACL reconstruction and are willing to undergo MRI scans, joint fluid collection, and strength/activity testing.

Not a fit: People without an ACL injury, those with long-standing advanced osteoarthritis, or anyone unable to have MRI scans or joint-fluid sampling are unlikely to benefit from participating.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect early cartilage damage and guide care to reduce the chance of post-traumatic osteoarthritis after an ACL injury.

How similar studies have performed: Related work using MRI and biochemical markers has shown links to cartilage health, but the simultaneous proton/sodium MR fingerprinting approach in this project is new and less tested in patients.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions ACL injury
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.