Split-belt treadmill training to improve knee biomechanics after ACL reconstruction
Official title: Mi-SPA: Michigan Split-belt Adaptation Paradigm to Improve Knee Loading After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (Aim 3)
Run by University of Michigan · NCT06529692 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This small pilot will test whether six weeks of split-belt treadmill training can change how your reconstructed knee is loaded when you walk.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 14 Years to 45 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 9 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Michigan Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Ann Arbor, Michigan) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 13, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 2026 |
| Study ends | December 2026 |
| Registry record updated | September 15, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06529692 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are English-speaking people aged 14–45 who had an acute complete ACL rupture, underwent ACL reconstruction with an autograft within the past 10 months, and can commit to testing and follow-up.
✕Probably not a fit
People with prior ACL injury or prior knee surgery, multi-ligament reconstructions, allografts, accompanying fractures or dislocations, pregnant individuals, or those outside the age window are excluded and unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a randomized pilot study at the University of Michigan that will enroll nine participants who had ACL reconstruction within the past 10 months. Participants are randomized to one of two targeted split-belt training programs (early-stance loading or midstance loading) or a placebo split-belt condition and will complete six weeks of training. The main outcome is change in sagittal-plane knee moment and other knee loading measures during walking to see if the intervention shifts loading toward the surgical limb. Results will be used to inform larger future trials and to explore whether split-belt training can reverse the underloading pattern linked to re-injury and post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could restore more normal knee loading during everyday walking and may reduce risk of re-injury and long-term osteoarthritis after ACL reconstruction.
How similar studies have gone: Split-belt treadmill training has produced meaningful gait and knee-loading changes in healthy individuals and some neurologic populations, but its use to restore knee loading after ACL reconstruction is novel and not yet proven.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * aged 14-45 years * suffered an acute, complete ACL rupture as confirmed by MRI and physical exam * have undergone ACL reconstruction w autograft within the past 10 months * willingness to participate in testing and follow-up as outlined in the protocol * English-speaking Exclusion Criteria: * inability to provide written informed consent * female subjects who are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant (self-reported) * previous ACL injury * previous surgery to either knee * bony fracture accompanying ACL injury * patients who experienced a knee dislocation * patients who had their ACL reconstructed with an allograft * patients who underwent a multi-ligamentous and/or staged ACL reconstruction
Where it's running
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University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Riann M Palmieri-Smith, PhD, ATC — University of Michigan
- Study coordinator: Alexa Johnson, PhD
- Email: akjohns@umich.edu
- Phone: 734-615-1297
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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.