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Anterior Cruciate Ligament ReconstructionUnbrokenACLNCT07851298

Supporting Athletes' Return to Sports After ACL Reconstruction: A Study of a Psychological Readiness Program

A study testing Unbroken Comeback in people with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries, run by Inova Health Care Services at 1 site in United States.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether an online mental and emotional support program called ACL Unbroken can help people recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery feel more confident and ready to return to sports when used alongside standard physical therapy. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 15 to 25 years
What is being tested?
Unbroken Comeback
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
30 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Oct 2026to 31 Dec 2028
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 15 to 25 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 15 to 25 years
  • Athlete planning to return to sport after surgery
  • Undergoing primary ACL reconstruction with (BTB) Patellar tendon autograft

Who cannot join

  • Undergoing primary ACL Reconstruction with a graft source other than (BTB) Patellar tendon autograft
  • Multi-ligamentous knee injury requiring repair or reconstruction
  • Previous ACL Reconstruction on affected or non-affected lower extremity
  • Concomitant articular cartilage procedures
  • Patients not planning to return to sport(s) after surgery
  • Unable to consistently access wifi or a device to complete the Unbroken Athlete online modular program
  • Undergoing 1-1 coaching with a behavioral psychotherapist

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Edward Chang, MD contact

(571) 472-0465

edward.chang@inova.org

Parth Sharma, BS contact

(571) 472-0464

parth.sharma@inova.org

United States1 site
  • Inova Health System: Orthopedic, Sports Medicine

    Fairfax, Virginia, 22031

    Parth Sharma, BS, 571-472-0464, parth.sharma@inova.org

    Edward Chang, MD, (571) 472-0465, edward.chang@inova.org

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Evaluating A Comprehensive Psychological Readiness Program To Support Return To Sport After ACL Reconstruction: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether an online mental and emotional support program called ACL Unbroken can help people recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery feel more confident and ready to return to sports when used alongside standard physical therapy.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Read more
  • Does the ACL Unbroken program help people feel more mentally prepared and confident to return to sports after ACL surgery?
  • Does the ACL Unbroken program improve recovery outcomes, such as physical performance, return to sports participation, satisfaction with recovery, and reducing the risk of another ACL injury?

Participants in the study will:

  • Continue to receive their usual physical therapy and medical care prescribed by their healthcare providers.
  • Complete surveys and assessments about their recovery, confidence, readiness to return to sports, and overall recovery experience.
  • Be assigned to one of two groups by chance.
  • If assigned to the intervention group, receive access to the ACL Unbroken online program, which includes educational lessons and activities focused on goal setting, confidence building, coping with fear of re-injury, stress management, motivation, mindfulness, meditation, visualization, and resilience during recovery.
  • If assigned to the comparison group, not receive access to the ACL Unbroken program during the study period.

If there is a comparison group, researchers will compare participants who receive the ACL Unbroken program with participants who receive standard care alone to see whether the program improves psychological readiness, recovery outcomes, and return-to-sport success after ACL reconstruction surgery.

Read the detailed description

This study evaluates the ACL Unbroken Program, an online psychological support program, in athletes aged 15 to 25 years who are recovering from primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft. The primary objective is to assess whether adding the ACL Unbroken Program to standard postoperative rehabilitation improves psychological readiness to return to sport and patient-reported outcomes following ACL reconstruction. Secondary objectives include evaluating physical performance outcomes, return-to-sport rates, reinjury incidence, participant satisfaction with recovery, and the feasibility and adherence associated with the program.

This is a single-site, prospective, randomized controlled pilot trial enrolling approximately 30 participants. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either standard rehabilitation alone or standard rehabilitation plus access to the ACL Unbroken Program. The study uses an open-label design due to the nature of the intervention, while outcome assessors will be blinded to group assignment when feasible. Participants will be followed for up to 24 months after enrollment.

The ACL Unbroken Program is a commercially available, web-based psychological readiness platform designed to support athletes throughout ACL rehabilitation. The program provides educational content and psychological skills training focused on confidence building, fear of reinjury, resilience, emotional regulation, recovery mindset, goal setting, and return-to-sport readiness. 15 participants, randomly assigned to the intervention group will have access to the ACL Unbroken Program in addition to receiving all standard clinical care and physical therapy prescribed by their healthcare providers.

Key assessments include validated patient-reported outcome measures evaluating psychological readiness, knee function, perceived social support, resilience, and recovery experience, as well as objective physical performance assessments such as quadriceps strength testing, hop testing, agility testing, change-of-direction testing, and movement biomechanics. Long-term follow-up assessments will also evaluate return-to-sport participation, reinjury occurrence, and participant satisfaction with recovery.

Psychological readiness has emerged as a critical factor influencing successful return to sport after ACL reconstruction, yet psychological support is not routinely incorporated into many rehabilitation programs. This study aims to provide preliminary evidence regarding the effectiveness and feasibility of integrating a structured psychological readiness program into standard ACL rehabilitation. Findings from this pilot trial will help inform the design of larger future studies and may contribute to improving recovery outcomes for athletes following ACL reconstruction.

Being tested
Unbroken Comeback
Medical subject headings
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Unbroken ComebackOther

    The Unbroken Comeback is an online modular recovery program designed for athletes recovering from injury or surgery that focuses on the mental and emotional aspects of rehabilitation, not just the physical recovery. The program aims to help athletes rebuild confidence, resilience, and mindset so they can return to sport or activity stronger and more prepared.

Study groups in NCT07851298
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Standard of CareNo interventionSubjects in this arm will be randomized. They will not receive the Unbroken Athlete Program. Subjects will follow the standard of care treatment from their care team.
ACL Unbroken Athlete ProgramExperimentalSubjects in this arm will be randomized. They will receive the Unbroken Athlete Program. Subjects will follow the standard of care treatment from their care team and complete scheduled online modules as part of the intervention.
Receives: Other: Unbroken Comeback

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport Following ACL Reconstruction at 12 Months

    Psychological readiness will be assessed using the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) Scale. The ACL-RSI is a 12-item patient-reported outcome measure evaluating emotions, confidence, and risk appraisal related to returning to sport after ACL reconstruction. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater psychological readiness to return to sport. The mean ACL-RSI score at 12 months post-operatively will be reported.

    Measured: 1 Year

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Patient-Reported Knee Function and Quality of Life Following ACL Reconstruction at 12 Months

    Patient-reported knee function and quality of life will be assessed using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). The KOOS consists of five subscales: Pain, Symptoms, Activities of Daily Living, Sport and Recreation Function, and Knee-Related Quality of Life. Scores for each subscale range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better knee health, function, and quality of life. Mean KOOS subscale scores at 12 months post-operatively will be reported.

    Measured: 1 year

  2. Return to Pre-Injury Level of Sport Participation at 12 Months Following ACL Reconstruction

    Return to sport will be assessed as the proportion of participants who have returned to their pre-injury sport at the same or higher level of participation by 12 months following ACL reconstruction. Return-to-sport status will be determined through participant self-report and clinical follow-up assessments. Results will be reported as the percentage of participants meeting the return-to-sport criterion

    Measured: 1 Year

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 Oct 2026
  2. Study start1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion31 Oct 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Participants will be randomized into one of two parallel groups: (1) standard rehabilitation plus the ACL Unbroken online psychological readiness program or (2) standard rehabilitation alone. Outcomes will be assessed prospectively and compared between groups to determine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the ACL Unbroken program in supporting recovery and return to sport following ACL reconstruction.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
30 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07851298
Sponsor's protocol ID
INOVA-2026-99
Acronym
UnbrokenACL
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
25 Sep 2026
Last updated
15 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: The study team does not currently plan to share individual participant data, as preparing datasets for external distribution would require substantial administrative and resource commitments. If data sharing is pursued in the future, appropriate data-sharing mechanisms, such as a Data Use Agreement (DUA) or Collaborative Agreement, will be implemented before any data are disclosed to external parties.

Publications

  • Dai W, Leng X, Wang J, Cheng J, Hu X, Ao Y. Quadriceps Tendon Autograft Versus Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone and Hamstring Tendon Autografts for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Am J Sports Med. 2022 Oct;50(12):3425-3439. doi: 10.1177/03635465211030259. Epub 2021 Sep 8.

    PubMed 34494906
  • Barie A, Sprinckstub T, Huber J, Jaber A. Quadriceps tendon vs. patellar tendon autograft for ACL reconstruction using a hardware-free press-fit fixation technique: comparable stability, function and return-to-sport level but less donor site morbidity in athletes after 10 years. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2020 Oct;140(10):1465-1474. doi: 10.1007/s00402-020-03508-1. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

    PubMed 32504178
  • Belk JW, Kraeutler MJ, Carver TJ, McCarty EC. Knee Osteoarthritis After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Versus Hamstring Tendon Autograft: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Arthroscopy. 2018 Apr;34(4):1358-1365. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2017.11.032. Epub 2018 Feb 1.

    PubMed 29366740
  • Shani RH, Umpierez E, Nasert M, Hiza EA, Xerogeanes J. Biomechanical Comparison of Quadriceps and Patellar Tendon Grafts in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Arthroscopy. 2016 Jan;32(1):71-5. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2015.06.051. Epub 2015 Sep 14.

    PubMed 26382635
  • Buller LT, Best MJ, Baraga MG, Kaplan LD. Trends in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in the United States. Orthop J Sports Med. 2014 Dec 26;3(1):2325967114563664. doi: 10.1177/2325967114563664. eCollection 2015 Jan.

    PubMed 26535368
  • Sanders TL, Maradit Kremers H, Bryan AJ, Larson DR, Dahm DL, Levy BA, Stuart MJ, Krych AJ. Incidence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears and Reconstruction: A 21-Year Population-Based Study. Am J Sports Med. 2016 Jun;44(6):1502-7. doi: 10.1177/0363546516629944. Epub 2016 Feb 26.

    PubMed 26920430
  • Murray MM. Optimizing outcomes of ACL surgery-Is autograft reconstruction the only reasonable option? J Orthop Res. 2021 Sep;39(9):1843-1850. doi: 10.1002/jor.25128. Epub 2021 Jul 16.

    PubMed 34191344
  • Eggeling L, Breer S, Drenck TC, Frosch KH, Akoto R. Double-Layered Quadriceps Tendon Autografts Provide Lower Failure Rates and Improved Clinical Results Compared With Hamstring Tendon Grafts in Revision ACL Reconstruction. Orthop J Sports Med. 2021 Dec 5;9(12):23259671211046929. doi: 10.1177/23259671211046929. eCollection 2021 Dec.

    PubMed 34901287
  • Geib TM, Shelton WR, Phelps RA, Clark L. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using quadriceps tendon autograft: intermediate-term outcome. Arthroscopy. 2009 Dec;25(12):1408-14. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2009.06.004.

    PubMed 19962067
  • Smith PA, Stannard JP, Pfeiffer FM, Kuroki K, Bozynski CC, Cook JL. Suspensory Versus Interference Screw Fixation for Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in a Translational Large-Animal Model. Arthroscopy. 2016 Jun;32(6):1086-97. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2015.11.026. Epub 2016 Feb 4.

    PubMed 26853947
  • Debarre L, Daxhelet J, DE Lavigne C, Parmentier C. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with semitendinosus graft, comparative study of two tibial fixation devices. Acta Orthop Belg. 2024 Dec;90(4):595-601. doi: 10.52628/90.4.12152.

    PubMed 39869862
  • Kaeding CC, Leger-St-Jean B, Magnussen RA. Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries. Clin Sports Med. 2017 Jan;36(1):1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.csm.2016.08.001. Epub 2016 Oct 4.

    PubMed 27871652
  • Winkler PW, Vivacqua T, Thomassen S, Lovse L, Lesniak BP, Getgood AMJ, Musahl V. Quadriceps tendon autograft is becoming increasingly popular in revision ACL reconstruction. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2022 Jan;30(1):149-160. doi: 10.1007/s00167-021-06478-y. Epub 2021 Feb 16.

    PubMed 33591370

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Unbroken Comeback in people with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries, run by Inova Health Care Services at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Edward Chang, MD ((571) 472-0465, edward.chang@inova.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport Following ACL Reconstruction at 12 Months (time frame: 1 Year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07851298, which also lists 13 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Oct 2026.

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