From Knee Focus to Whole-Body Movement for ACL Injury Prevention in Teens
Official title: Shifting from Knee-Centric to Whole-Kinetic-Chain Approaches for ACL Injury Prevention and Lifelong Joint Health in Adolescents
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11441269 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in teens with ACL injury explores how ankle, knee, and hip movements during sports affect injury risk and lifelong joint health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 9, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $320,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R03HD123568-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11441269 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents aged around 12-19 who have had ACL injuries or reconstruction.
✕Less likely to help
Teens without a history of ACL injuries are unlikely to directly benefit.
What this research studies
Teens who have had ACL injuries may move differently during fast cuts and jumps. This project looks at how the ankle, knee, and hip work together to protect the knee during sport-specific movements. The team will examine loading patterns in the ankle and knee within the first moments of landing and cutting, aiming to identify ways to reduce re-injury and long-term joint problems. By understanding these movement patterns, the research could inform better training and rehabilitation strategies for adolescents.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to improved training and rehab programs that lower ACL re-injury risk and promote healthier, longer-lasting knee and ankle joints for teens.
How similar studies have gone: Early studies show movement patterns differ after ACL injury, but this project extends to whole-chain dynamics during sport movements.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sugimoto, Yuki — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Sugimoto, Yuki
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Therapeutic approach to reduce cellular aging and improve thigh muscle recovery after ACL injury
A research project tests a drug (metformin) to help the thigh muscle heal better after ACL injury and reconstruction.
-
NMES approach to protect and restore thigh muscles after ACL injury
A researcher team at the University of Kentucky is testing how nerve-stimulating electrical therapy might prevent and reverse muscle weakness and shrinking after an ACL tear and reconstruction, with patients who have or will have ACL injuries in mind.
-
Electrical stimulation to restore quadriceps after ACL tear
This will use neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to help people with ACL tears or reconstruction avoid quadriceps weakness and muscle loss.
-
Understanding Second ACL Injury Risk with a Smart Sensor
This project aims to find out which factors, measured with a new wearable sensor, put adolescent athletes at risk for tearing their ACL again after surgery.
-
Improving recovery after ACL injuries
This study is looking to help people recover better from ACL injuries by figuring out the best ways to use electrical stimulation to strengthen muscles after the injury, so you can get back to your activities faster and with less risk of future problems.
-
Understanding how electrical stimulation can help recover muscle function after ACL injuries
This study is looking at how a special treatment called neuromuscular electrical stimulation can help your muscles recover better after an ACL injury, so you can get back to your normal activities faster and stronger.
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.