Digital biomarkers to guide personalized rehab after ACL injury
Official title: Digital Biomarkers of Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis: Toward Precision Rehabilitation
Funded at Carnegie-Mellon University · NIH-11402731 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new study at Carnegie Mellon will use wearable sensors and phone videos to find early signals that predict cartilage changes after ACL surgery, with the goal of guiding tailored rehabilitation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Carnegie-Mellon University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $470,869 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR080310-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402731 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals who recently had ACL reconstruction or repair and are undergoing rehabilitation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing ACL rehab or those without access to wearable sensors or smartphones for monitoring.
What this research studies
If you’ve had an ACL injury or reconstruction, this project looks at how movement data from wearables and smartphone videos can reveal digital biomarkers. Researchers will analyze gait features and other signals to see if they can forecast early signs of post-traumatic osteoarthritis from the first months after surgery. The goal is to develop real-time feedback tools that help therapists and patients adjust rehab at the right moments. This approach aims to make rehabilitation more precise and potentially reduce long-term joint problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive personalized rehab feedback that helps protect joint health after ACL surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows digital biomarkers can reflect joint health, but this project aims to predict PTOA risk earlier using multi-modal data.
Where this research is happening
-
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Halilaj, Eni — Carnegie-Mellon University
- Study coordinator: Halilaj, Eni
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.