External Focus of Attention Feedback to Reduce Risk of Non-contact ACL Injury

NCT04914689 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 21-0283
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 45
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Knee injuries, especially those to the ACL, are common among physically active people. Preventing these injuries from happening is critical to limiting the long-term pain, disability, and arthritis associated with these injuries. Our study is going to examine new ways to provide feedback about the way people move to determine if these are better at modifying movement patterns to prevent injury than current standard treatments. If you participate, you will be asked to undergo a movement analysis in a research laboratory while you perform tasks such as landing from a box and running and cutting. After this initial assessment, you will be randomly allocated to one of 3 treatment groups. Each treatment group will perform 4 weeks (3x/week) of exercises to change the way people land from a jump. Participants will then report for follow-up movement analysis testing 1- and 4-weeks after completing the intervention.

Conditions

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Changes from baseline in lower extremity biomechanics during landing.

  Hip and knee angles and loads measured via 3D biomechanics

  1-week post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention

• Differences in biomechanical changes between visual and auditory external focus of attention feedback.

  Hip and knee angles and loads measured via 3D biomechanics

  1-week post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Changes from baseline in cortical activity during landing

  1-week post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention

Study Arms (3)

Internal focus of attention feedback

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will complete 12 sessions over 3 weeks receiving visual feedback in a mirror of their movement patterns.

Other: Internal focus of attention feedback

Visual external focus of attention feedback

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will complete 12 sessions over 3 weeks receiving visual feedback of their movement patterns from a laser.

Other: Visual internal focus of attention feedback

Auditory external focus of attention feedback

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will complete 12 sessions over 3 weeks receiving auditory feedback of their movement patterns.

Other: Auditory external focus of attention feedback

Interventions

Internal focus of attention feedback OTHER

Participants will complete 12 sessions over a 3-week period of functional movement retraining while receiving mirror feedback. Participants will be instructed to perform each functional task in a manner that keeps their knee in line with their toes.

Internal focus of attention feedback

Visual internal focus of attention feedback OTHER

Participants will complete 12 sessions over a 3-week period of functional movement retraining while receiving visual feedback via laser. Participants will be instructed to perform each functional task in a manner that does causes the laser to move up and down but not side-to-side.

Visual external focus of attention feedback

Auditory external focus of attention feedback OTHER

Participants will complete 12 sessions over a 3-week period of functional movement retraining while receiving auditory feedback. Participants will be instructed to perform each functional task in a manner that does not cause the auditory tool to elicit a noise.

Auditory external focus of attention feedback

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• exercise 30+ minutes 3+ days/week

You may not qualify if:

• Body mass index \>40 kg/m2
• History of lower extremity fracture or surgery to either limb
• History of ACL tear, meniscus, or collateral ligament injury at the knee to either limb
• History of ankle sprains to either limb
• History of musculoskeletal injury sustained in the 6 months prior to enrollment
• History of concussion or neurological disorders that may influence electroencephalography activity
• Visual or hearing impairments that would limit receiving the appropriate feedback
• Inability to comprehend and repeat back directions in English
• Current smoker

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of North Carolina, Charlotte: lead

Study Sites (1)

UNC Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina, 28223, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Knee Injuries; Leg Injuries; Wounds and Injuries

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 3, 2021
• First Posted: June 7, 2021
• Study Start: August 15, 2021
• Primary Completion: February 28, 2025
• Study Completion: March 31, 2025
• Last Updated: June 3, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)