Healthy Caucasian knee anatomy and function database
Official title: An Analysis of Healthy Caucasian Knees: Variability in Threedimensional Anatomy, Mediolateral Ligamentous Balance, Lower Limb Alignment and Trabecular Micro-structure.
Run by Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven · NCT07470671 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will collect high-resolution CT, weightbearing full-leg X-rays (EOS), and ultrasound tests from healthy 20–35 year-old people of European/Caucasian descent to create a large database of knee anatomy and function.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 20 Years to 35 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | radiation |
| Locations | 1 site (Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 8, 2025 |
| Main results expected | January 2027 |
| Study ends | January 2027 |
| Registry record updated | March 13, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07470671 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are healthy 20–35 year-olds who self-identify as Caucasian or of European descent with fair skin tone, have no prior lower-limb bone or soft-tissue injuries, no open knee wounds, and can attend imaging visits at KU Leuven.
✕Probably not a fit
People who are non-Caucasian or have mixed non-European ancestry, have prior knee or lower-limb pathology, are pregnant or unsure of pregnancy status, or cannot travel to Leuven are unlikely to benefit from participating.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The protocol prospectively acquires photon-counting CT scans of the knee, weightbearing EOS full-leg images, and ultrasound-based functional gap testing in healthy young adults who self-identify as Caucasian/European. These multimodal data will be combined into a single large normative database to characterize constitutional knee anatomy, coronal alignment phenotypes (CPAK), and native mediolateral ligamentous balance. The same dataset will support multiple independent analyses across orthopaedics, radiology, and biomechanical engineering teams aimed at informing anatomical and biomechanical personalization for total knee arthroplasty. Imaging is non-invasive aside from standard radiation exposure from CT and EOS, and participants must meet the study's strict inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the database could provide precise, population-specific anatomical and biomechanical references that help personalize knee replacement surgery and improve patient satisfaction.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has produced smaller or single-modality normative knee datasets, but combining photon-counting CT, EOS, and ultrasound at this scale in a Caucasian cohort is novel and not yet widely tested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 20-35 years old. * 'Caucasian': 1. Self-identification as Caucasian or of European descent. 2. Self-identification as having 'fair' skin tone. 3. Both parents and all grandparents are of Caucasian or European descent. * Healthy knee and lower limb: 1. No bony orthopaedic or trauma history in the lower limb (pelvis - foot). 2. No ligamentary or soft tissue trauma history in the knee. 3. No ligamentary or soft tissue trauma in the lower limb requiring cast immobilization. Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals identifying with a race or ethnicity other than Caucasian or European descent. * Participants with known mixed racial or ethnic backgrounds that include non-Caucasian ancestry. * Participant uncertainty of pregnancy status. * Open wounds over the knee joint.
Where it's running
-
Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Lennart Scheys, Prof. Ir. — Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
- Study coordinator: Lennart Scheys, Prof. Ir.
- Email: lennart.scheys@uzleuven.be
- Phone: +32 16 33 88 18
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.