Quadriceps response to simulated knee injury
Official title: Quadriceps Motor Unit Adaptation to Simulated Knee Injury
Run by University of Central Florida · NCT06999057 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether filling the knee with fluid or temporarily numbing its nerves changes quadriceps muscle recruitment in healthy 18–30-year-olds.
Quick facts
| Phase | Early Phase 1 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years to 30 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 45 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Central Florida Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Orlando, Florida) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | August 1, 2027 |
| Study ends | August 1, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | May 1, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06999057 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are healthy, physically active adults aged 18–30 with no prior lower-limb surgery or recent major injury and no contraindications to needle procedures or lidocaine.
✕Probably not a fit
People with current knee injuries, older adults, pregnant individuals, those allergic to lidocaine, or individuals with significant cardiopulmonary, neurological, or psychiatric conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Using a controlled laboratory model, investigators will simulate knee injury either by injecting sterile saline to create an effusion or by injecting lidocaine to produce temporary sensory deafferentation, with a sham injection as comparison. Healthy, physically active participants aged 18–30 will attend a single roughly two-hour session during which surface and decomposition EMG, isometric peak torque testing, and Hoffmann reflex measurements are collected before and after the intervention. The primary outcome is motor unit recruitment characteristics; secondary outcomes include measures of quadriceps inhibition (H-reflex) and isometric torque. The study aims to characterize acute neuromuscular changes that could inform future neuromodulatory or rehabilitation strategies after real knee trauma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help design rehabilitation methods to reduce quadriceps weakness and improve recovery after knee injuries.
How similar studies have gone: Similar lab models using intra-articular saline and local anesthesia have produced measurable changes in quadriceps activation, though applying those results to clinical rehab remains limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 18-30 years 2. Physically active (Tegner ≥ 5) 3. No prior lower-limb surgery or major injury Exclusion Criteria: 1. Lower limb surgery or significant injury in past 2 years 2. Cardiopulmonary, neurological, or psychiatric disorders 3. Needle/electrical stimulation anxiety 4. Medications affecting neuromuscular or psychological function 5. Pregnancy 6. Allergic to lidocaine 7. Inability to elicit Hoffmann reflex
Where it's running
-
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Grant Norte, Ph.D.
- Email: Grant.Norte@ucf.edu
- Phone: 407-823-3188
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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.