Effect of Contralateral NMES on Quadriceps Activation After ACL Injury or Surgery (ACLQuadAct)

Schulthess Klinik

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: ACL Injury

Treatments: Device: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07156734

2025-00224

Details and patient eligibility

About

A major complication after cruciate ligament injury and surgery is arthrogenic muscle inhibition of the quadriceps, which is characterised by a deficit in voluntary muscle activation in the affected leg. This can hinder rehabilitation processes, lead to impaired knee function, and negatively impact the patients' quality of life. The primary objective of this study is to assess whether voluntary quadriceps activation on the injured side is facilitated by the concomitant application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the contralateral quadriceps.

Full description

The primary objective of this study is to assess whether injured-side voluntary quadriceps activation before and after ACL surgery is facilitated by the concomitant application of NMES on the contralateral quadriceps (uninjured side), in comparison to a control (CTRL) condition that does not involve any contralateral activity (passive rest) and to a voluntary (VOL) condition that involves a maximal voluntary contraction of the contralateral quadriceps.

Enrollment: 25 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 50 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients undergoing ACL surgery with semitendinosus tendon autograft in the Schulthess Clinic
• Unilateral and primary ACL injury (with/without diagnoses of additional meniscus injury)

Exclusion criteria

• Previous surgery/ligament rupture in injured or uninjured knee or hip
• Severe pain in the uninjured-side quadriceps or knee joint
• Ongoing pregnancy
• BMI >30 kg/m²
• Neuromuscular disease
• Open wounds or tissue injuries on the anterior aspect of the thigh
• Additional rupture of other knee ligaments (posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, lateral collateral ligament)
• Implanted metallic/electronic devices (cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators)
• Patients getting a femoralis block (peripheral nerve block) after surgery will be excluded for the post-surgical appointment
• Insufficient language comprehension

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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25 participants in 1 patient group

Contralateral NMES

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) applied to the quadriceps muscle of the contralateral leg while performing voluntary quadriceps contractions on the injured side. Each participant completes two sessions: one after ACL injury and one after ACL reconstruction surgery.

Treatment:

Device: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation