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Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Interventional Ages 18 to 65

Ultrasound speckle-tracking to measure soft tissue strain and movement in rehabilitation

Official title: Validating the Speckle Tracking Methods on Soft Tissue Strain, Displacement, and Roles in Physical Therapy: Ligaments (Sports), Tendons (Dysfunction), and Muscles (Exercise Intervention)

Run by National Taiwan University Hospital · NCT07485530 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This project will test whether ultrasound speckle-tracking can measure how ligaments, tendons, and hamstrings stretch and move in athletes and patients recovering from injuries.

More Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Rehabilitation trials

Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years to 65 Years
SexAll
Enrollment80 (estimated)
SponsorNational Taiwan University Hospital
Academic / other
Locations1 site (Taipei)
StatusRecruiting
StartedMarch 2026
Main results expectedMarch 2027
Study endsMarch 2027
Registry record updatedMarch 20, 2026
Trial IDNCT07485530 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates include male baseball pitchers aged 18–35 with >5 years pitching and high weekly pitching counts, adults 20–65 with physician‑recommended grade II posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, and individuals 18–45 who had unilateral ACL semitendinosus autograft reconstruction within the past six years and have returned to prior sports participation.

Probably not a fit

Patients with full‑thickness UCL tears, those unable to perform the required loading or training protocols, or people with contraindications to blood flow restriction or exercise interventions are unlikely to 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

Over three years the team will apply ultrasound speckle-tracking to measure strain and displacement in the medial ulnar collateral ligament of baseball pitchers, the posterior tibial tendon in patients with grade II dysfunction, and hamstring muscles after ACL reconstruction. Measurements will include longitudinal and transverse tissue deformation during controlled loading (for example passive isokinetic elbow valgus loading) and will be compared with shear-wave elastography. Selected participants will also complete targeted 8-week training interventions such as blood flow restriction or Nordic exercise programs to document changes in tissue mechanics. The aim is to validate speckle-tracking metrics as a basis for clinical risk assessment, therapy planning, and tracking rehabilitation outcomes.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could give clinicians a practical ultrasound tool to identify tissue risk and monitor recovery, improving treatment decisions and rehabilitation tracking.

How similar studies have gone: Some preliminary work using speckle-tracking and shear-wave elastography in musculoskeletal tissues has shown promising results, but comprehensive validation across different tissues and clinical groups is still limited.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria 
Inclusion Criteria:

Study 1

* male pitchers aged between 18 and 35 years
* more than five years of pitching experience
* at least 200 counts of pitching training per week

Study 2

* Age between 20 and 65 years
* diagnosed with grade II posterior tibial tendon dysfunction and recommended by a physician for surgical intervention

Study 3

* The participants were between 18 and 45 years old
* had undergone unilateral anterior cruciate ligament semitendinosus tendon autograft reconstruction surgery within the past 6 years
* were able to fully participate in the sports and training they had before their injury

Exclusion Criteria:

Study 1

* diagnosed with partial or full thickness tears of the UCL by arthrographic/ nonarthrographic MR techniques in past medical records
* having a positive result in the "moving valgus stress test" screening24
* unable to participate in regular baseball pitching training or absent from the competition during the March 2023 to March 2025 season
* found to show suspicious signs, such as hypoechoic foci and calcification, which suggest UCL injury under ultrasound screening4
* with a \<80% compliance rate in the eight-week BFRT

Study 2

* The lower extremities have undergone surgical intervention
* The lower extremities have a known history of nerve or vascular injury
* The ankles and feet have known ligament tears
* Fixed deformities of the foot joints
* The patient has a known physical condition that would affect the conduct of the experiment

Study 3

* Having any orthopedic condition that prevents them from participating in the competition, such as arthritis or knee pain
* having a history of hamstring muscle strain in the knee within the past 3 months
* having an attendance rate of less than 80% in the subsequent eight weeks of training

Where it's running

  • School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University
    Taipei, Taiwan     Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
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Tibialis Posterior Dysfunction 2Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Rehabilitation 13National Taiwan University Hospital 278
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.