Individualized rehab program for youth knee and heel pain in sports
Official title: Feasibility, Clinical Response, and Exploratory Predictors of an Individualized Load-Based Rehabilitation Pathway in Youth Athletes With Osgood-Schlatter Disease or Sever Disease: A Prospective Single-Arm Interventional Study
Run by Medical University of Gdansk · NCT07521280 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A 12-week personalized rehabilitation program is tested to see if it helps kids with knee or heel pain from growth-related conditions and how well they follow it.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 10 Years to 17 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 45 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Medical University of Gdansk Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Gdansk, Debinki 7) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 20, 2026 |
| Main results expected | June 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | April 5, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | October 9, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07521280 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Children and adolescents aged 10 to 17 years with current or prior lower-extremity apophyseal pain consistent with Osgood-Schlatter or Sever-related conditions, or related SLJ symptoms, who are engaged in organized sport.
✕Probably not a fit
Participants without persistent load-related symptoms or with non-relevant pathology may not experience usable benefit from this rehabilitation approach.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This feasibility study tests a 12-week, individualized load-based rehabilitation pathway for youth athletes with lower-extremity apophyseal pain, including Osgood-Schlatter and Sever conditions. It uses a core framework of education, pain monitoring, activity modification, progressive loading, home exercises, strength and motor-control work, and gradual return-to-sport loading. The intervention is tailored to each participant based on symptoms, activity level, movement quality, and response to loading. The study collects data on feasibility, adherence, and data completeness, as well as changes in pain, function, and sports participation, and explores baseline predictors of response. It is a prospective, single-arm interventional feasibility trial with exploratory analyses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could offer a structured, personalized path to reduce pain and improve participation in sport for youth with apophyseal-related knee and heel pain.
How similar studies have gone: Similar rehabilitation concepts in youth overuse injuries have shown feasibility and potential benefits, but this exact load-based, individualized pathway for apophyseal pain is exploratory.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 10 to 17 years * Participates in organized sport and has at least 12 months of sport participation or training history * Has current lower-extremity apophyseal pain consistent with Osgood-Schlatter-related knee pain, Sever-related heel pain, and/or Sinding-Larsen-Johansson-related pain at the inferior pole of the patella, or has previous symptoms of these conditions with a residual or low-irritability presentation relevant to rehabilitation * Meets criteria for at least one pre-specified rehabilitation entry pathway: post-trial rehabilitation entry after completion of the separate photobiomodulation trial, or direct-entry rehabilitation with active apophyseal symptoms, or direct-entry rehabilitation with previous Osgood-Schlatter-related or Sever-related symptoms and a low-irritability or residual presentation For participants entering with active symptoms: * pain is located at the tibial tubercle region, the inferior pole of the patella, and/or the calcaneal apophyseal/heel region * pain is aggravated by activity, loading, or sport participation * pain is reproducible on clinical examination or the clinical history is consistent with the target condition Participant and parent/caregiver are willing to take part in the rehabilitation program, including in-person visits, home exercises, symptom/activity monitoring, and follow-up assessments. A parent or legal guardian provides written informed consent, and the participant provides assent when applicable. Exclusion Criteria: * Current pain episode started after an acute traumatic injury that better explains the symptoms * Clinical presentation suggests a condition other than the target rehabilitation condition, including a major alternative knee or heel diagnosis requiring different management * Lower-limb surgery that would substantially affect rehabilitation planning, safety, or interpretation of outcomes * Known serious musculoskeletal, neurological, rheumatological, inflammatory, autoimmune, metabolic, or other systemic disease that may affect safe participation or interpretation of outcomes * Any medical or developmental condition that would prevent safe participation in exercise-based rehabilitation * Current symptoms requiring urgent medical assessment or management outside the rehabilitation pathway * Inability to understand study instructions or complete study procedures with parent/caregiver support * Parent/caregiver or participant does not agree to participate or withdraws consent/assent
Where it's running
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Department of Immunobiology and Environment Microbiology
Gdansk, Debinki 7, Poland Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Bartosz Wilczyński — Medical University of Gdansk
- Study coordinator: Bartosz Wilczyński, PhD
- Email: bartosz.wilczynski@gumed.edu.pl
- Phone: +48 732 414 195
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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.