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-11611050 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to use wearable sensors and phone videos to predict early osteoarthritis risk after ACL surgery so rehabilitation can be tailored to each patient.
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) | $91,320 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AR080310-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11611050 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have undergone ACL reconstruction or repair and are in the early post-surgical recovery phase.
✕Less likely to help
Patients outside the ACL injury/reconstruction pathway or those not using digital biofeedback tools may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
After ACL injury and reconstruction, restoring normal movement is key to preventing osteoarthritis. This grant tests how wearable sensors and smartphone video can capture movement patterns (digital biomarkers) that forecast changes in knee cartilage. By analyzing these signals over time, researchers hope to create precise feedback strategies (biofeedback) that help patients perform rehab in ways that reduce PTOA risk. The study uses multimodal data to identify which gait and movement features best predict joint health, informing future personalized rehabilitation. Results could lead to smarter coaching, real-time feedback, and better long-term knee outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive customized rehab feedback that helps protect knee cartilage after ACL surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows promise for digital biomarkers guiding rehab, but this project explores prediction of cartilage changes with multimodal data in a post-ACL setting.
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.