Assessment of Electromyographic Activity in the Quadriceps and Hamstrings of the Operated Limb Versus the Unaffected Limb in Patients Who Have Undergone ACL Surgery, With and Without Post-operative AMI - an Exploratory Study

NCT07659561 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2026-A00008-43
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Traumatic injuries to the knee joint, such as an anterior cruciate ligament tear, can compromise the ability of the muscle at the front of your thigh-known as the quadriceps-to contract voluntarily, despite the anatomical integrity of the nerve and muscle structures responsible for contraction. This phenomenon, commonly known as 'arthrogenic motor inhibition' (AMI), is a major limiting factor for recovery and rehabilitation following an anterior cruciate ligament tear, as well as a potential cause of functional disability if left undiagnosed and untreated. Indeed, motor inhibition that persists during the early months of rehabilitation could lead to under-activation of the quadriceps and over-activation of the hamstrings (the muscles at the back of your thigh). It is of interest to assess, during the rehabilitation phase, the contraction capacity of the various quadriceps and hamstring muscles in the operated limb compared with the unaffected limb in patients who have undergone anterior cruciate ligament surgery and who experience post-operative motor inhibition, and in patients who have undergone anterior cruciate ligament surgery but do not experience post-operative motor inhibition. This is why this study has been initiated.

Conditions

ACL - Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture

Keywords

ACL rupture; AMI; electromyography; thigh

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• EMG activity

  The average amplitude of EMG activity in the VM (Vastus Medialis) is assessed using the Root Mean Square (RMS) value, which is expressed in millivolts (mV). The RMS is recorded using surface electrodes placed on the vastus medialis. The primary outcome measure (activation deficit) is the absolute difference in RMS between the operated leg and the unaffected leg.

  Month 3

Study Arms (1)

ACL Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Patient with ACL rupture

Behavioral: Electromyography

Interventions

Electromyography BEHAVIORAL

Surface EMG of the quadriceps (vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and vastus longus) and the semimembranosus and biceps femoris muscles of the hamstrings on both the affected and unaffected sides, to objectively assess quadriceps inhibition.

ACL Arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Patient who has undergone ACL surgery at least 3 weeks ago
• Patient with no severe knee inflammation: stroke test ≤ 1+ and pain ≤ 3/10 (EN) at rest
• Patient with a Tegner score ≥ 5
• Patient with a Marx score ≥ 8
• Patient with or without a diagnosis of subjective AMI (Sonnery-Cottet et al. classification)
• French-speaking patients who do not object to the use of their data

You may not qualify if:

• Patient with a previous injury or surgery to the same or opposite knee
• Patient with a multi-ligament injury
• Patient with an AMI \> grade 2b (Sonnery-Cottet et al. classification)
• Patient with a BMI \> 30
• Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
• Patient with previous or current neurological and cardiovascular disorders or diseases
• Patient under legal protection: adult under guardianship, curatorship or other legal protection, deprived of liberty by judicial or administrative decision

Sponsors & Collaborators

• GCS Ramsay Santé pour l'Enseignement et la Recherche: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hôpital Privé Jean Mermoz

Lyon, 69008, France

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

Interventions

Neurofeedback

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Knee Injuries; Leg Injuries; Wounds and Injuries

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Biofeedback, Psychology; Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Feedback, Psychological

Central Study Contacts

Bertrand SONNERY-COTTET, MD

CONTACT

+ 33 4 37 53 00 22; sonnerycottet@aol.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 15, 2026
• First Posted: June 22, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2027
• Last Updated: June 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

FR (1)