Anterior Cruciate Ligament InjuriesBRACENCT06942754
Bracing and Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament for Efficacy Trial
A study testing post-surgical functional bracing in people with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries, run by Wake Forest University Health Sciences at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Several attempts have been made to reduce these failure rates and improve return to sports rates in high-risk populations, and one of these approaches has been postoperative bracing. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 14 to 39 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
- What is being tested?
- post-surgical functional bracing
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 96 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 11 Sep 2025to 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 14 to 39 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- patients with unilateral complete ACL injury
- patients involved in sports and the desire to return to sports
- patients undergoing quadriceps autograft ACL reconstruction
- must be 14 to 39 years old
Who cannot join
- multiligamentous knee injuries defined as two ligaments requiring surgical stabilization
- concomitant suture tape augmentation, extra-articular tenodesis or anterolateral ligament reconstruction
- concomitant femoral, tibial, or patellar fracture(s)
- patients with significant osteoarthritis
- concomitant ipsilateral knee dislocation or patellar dislocation
- significant lower leg malalignment requiring correcting osteotomies
Show all 11Show fewer
- prior ACL surgery, including contralateral knee
- pregnancy during injury or surgery
- unable to provide consent
- prolonged use of prednisolone or cytostatics
- comorbidities (e.g., muscular, neurological, vascular) that influence rehabilitation
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157
Katherine Leonard, 336-716-3952, kmleonar@wakehealth.edu
About this study
Official title: Bracing and Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament for Efficacy Trial (BRACE-trial)
Several attempts have been made to reduce these failure rates and improve return to sports rates in high-risk populations, and one of these approaches has been postoperative bracing. A recent survey of the Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) Study Group has shown that 53% of surgeons prefers functional bracing following ACL reconstruction. Currently, however, there is no clear consensus on whether functional bracing following ACL reconstruction leads to lower failure rates, improved stability or better patient-reported outcomes when compared to ACL reconstruction without bracing.
Read the detailed description
Given the increased popularity in quadriceps tendon graft, the biomechanical advantages of postoperative functional bracing, and the graft elongation that occurs predominantly with soft tissue grafts, there might be a role for functional bracing following quadriceps ACL reconstruction. Additionally, no studies to date have assessed the role of psychological readiness of return to sport, kinesiophobia and return to sport rates with and without functional bracing following ACL reconstruction (ACLR).
The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to assess the 2-year outcomes of psychological readiness, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), clinical stability, return to sport and failure rates following quadriceps autograft ACL reconstruction with and without functional bracing in the postoperative phase in younger athletic patients and military patients with a higher risk of failure or not returning to sports or duty, respectively, in a randomized study: the Bracing and Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament for Efficacy trial (BRACE-trial).
- Conditions
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
- Being tested
- post-surgical functional bracing
- Keywords
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction, postoperative bracing, functional bracing
- 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.
post-surgical functional bracingDevice
Also called DonJoy Defiance Pro brace
Quadriceps Autograft ACL Reconstruction with the use of post-surgical functional bracing, using the DonJoy Defiance Pro brace
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| With postoperative brace (DonJoy Defiance Pro) | Experimental | Quadriceps Autograft ACL Reconstruction with the use of post-surgical functional bracing, using the DonJoy Defiance Pro brace Receives: Device: post-surgical functional bracing |
| Without post-surgical functional bracing | No intervention | Quadriceps Autograft ACL Reconstruction without the use of post-surgical functional bracing |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in ACL-return to sport index (ACL-RSI) Scores
The ACL-Return to Sport after Injury scale (ACL-RSI) is a 12-item survey that measures psychological readiness to return to sport after an ACL injury or surgery. It uses a visual analog scale from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate greater psychological readiness. The total score is calculated as a percentage of the 12-item total score.
A higher ACL-RSI score indicates a greater level of psychological readiness for returning to sport.
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Secondary outcomes (20)
Tampa Scale Kinesiophobia 11 (TSK-11) Score
The TSK-11 (Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia) is a 11-item questionnaire assessing fear of movement/re-injury, scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1-4) with a total score range of 11-44, where higher scores indicate greater fear of pain and movement.
Lower scores (closer to 11): Indicate minimal or no kinesiophobia (fear of movement/re-injury).
Higher scores (closer to 44): Suggest a greater degree of kinesiophobia.
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Score
The IKDC is a patient-completed tool, which contains sections on knee symptoms (7 items), function (2 items), and sports activities (2 items). Scores range from 0 points (lowest level of function or highest level of symptoms) to 100 points (highest level of function and lowest level of symptoms)
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Lysholm score
The Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale is a 100-point questionnaire used to assess knee function and is often used to evaluate knee injuries and surgeries, with higher scores indicating better function and fewer symptoms.
A higher score indicates better knee function and fewer symptoms. Scores are often categorized as excellent (95-100), good (84-94), fair (65-83), and poor (<65).
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Forgotten Joint Score (FJS-12)
The Forgotten Joint Score (FJS-12) is a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess how much a patient is aware of their artificial join in everyday life, with higher scores indicating less awareness and better surgical outcomes.
Each response is assigned a score (0-4), and the scores are summed and transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating less awareness of the joint.
Interpretation:
A higher score suggests that the patient is less aware of their joint, indicating a better outcome and higher satisfaction with the surgery.
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
SANE Score
The SANE score asks the patient to rate the shoulder on a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 being the patient's normal. Although singular in nature, the SANE score incorporates broad intangible differences in patient-perceived function, quality of life, and goals.
SANE scores range from 40% to 60% at baseline for most patients before treatment and range from 75% to 85% at 1 year after therapy depending on the condition
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
5-point Likert Scale for Surgery Satisfaction Score
A 5-point Likert scale for surgery satisfaction typically uses a range from "Very Unsatisfied" to "Very Satisfied" with options like "Very Dissatisfied," "Dissatisfied," "Neutral," "Satisfied," and "Very Satisfied". This scale allows patients to express their level of satisfaction with various aspects of their surgical experience.
Very Dissatisfied/Very Unsatisfied (1): Indicates a very negative experience. Dissatisfied/Unsatisfied (2): Indicates a negative experience. Neutral (3): Indicates neither satisfaction nor dissatisfaction. Satisfied (4): Indicates a positive experience. Very Satisfied (5): Indicates a very positive experience.
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Pain Visual Analog Scale (Pain - VAS) Score
a measurement tool used to gauge subjective experiences, especially pain, by having individuals mark a spot on a continuous line between two defined extremes, representing, for example, "no pain" and "worst pain".
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Lachmeter
A Lachmeter is a device that is attached above and below your knee, that will measure the laxity (looseness) of your knee.
Measured: Baseline and Months 3, 6, 12, and 24
Lachman pivot shift
The Lachman, pivot shift tests are all physical examination techniques used to assess the integrity of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee.
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Lachman anterior drawer
The Lachman anterior drawer tests are all physical examination techniques used to assess the integrity of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee.
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Tegner Activity Score
The Tegner Activity Scale (TAS) is a simple, self-administered questionnaire that assesses a patient's level of activity, both at work and in sports, on a scale of 0 to 10The TAS is a 1-item questionnaire scored on a scale of 0 to 10.
0: represents maximum disability due to knee problems, such as being on sick leave or disability.
10: represents participation in competitive sports at a national or international elite level, like soccer.
Measured: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Time to Return to Sport/Previous Activity Level
Time to Return to Sport/Previous Activity Level
Measured: Months 3, 6, 12, and 24
Y-Balance Distance
asked to reach a maximum distance in 3 different directions (shape of a "Y") - do this while standing on 1 leg and staying balanced. Both legs will be tested
Measured: Months 6, 12, and 24
Number of Single Hop
asked to perform a maximum single leg broad jump - 2 reps on each leg
Measured: Months 6, 12, and 24
Number of Triple Hops
asked to perform a single leg triple hop (hop forward 3 times in a row) - 2 reps on each leg
Measured: Months 6, 12, and 24
Biodex Strength Testing
measure the strength of your thigh muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings) - kick leg forward and pull leg backward as hard as possible - perform this assessment at 1 to 2 different speeds (the machine controls the speed). Both legs will be tested.
Measured: Months 6, 12, and 24
Reoperation Rate
Reoperation Rate
Measured: Months 3, 6, 12, and 24
Failure Rate
Failure Rate
Measured: Months 3, 6, 12, and 24
Brace Compliance Rate
While wearing the brace, the sensor will track how many hours the brace is in use. The goal of the sensor is to track compliance of wearing the brace during rehabilitative and sport (or military) specific activity.
Measured: Months 6, 12, and 24
Number of Brace Complications
Number of Brace Complications
Measured: Months 6, 12, and 24
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Apr 2025
- Study start11 Sep 2025
- Primary completionJun 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Anterior Cruciate Ligament InjuriesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Wake Forest University Health SciencesThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- A total of 96 patients will be randomized, which means 48 patients will be in the bracing group and 48 in the non-bracing group, based on a sample size calculation. Patients will be randomized during their 2-week post-op visit.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 96 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Brian Waterman, MD, Principal investigator, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06942754
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB00123098
- Acronym
- BRACE
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Apr 2025
- Last updated
- 1 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Bracing and Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament for Efficacy Trial (BRACE-trial)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06942754
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- BRACE / IRB00123098
- Conditions
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
- Keywords
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction, postoperative bracing, functional bracing
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 96 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Wake Forest University Health SciencesUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 11 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jun 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Several attempts have been made to reduce these failure rates and improve return to sports rates in high-risk populations, and one of these approaches has been postoperative bracing. A recent survey of the Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) Study Group has shown that 53% of surgeons prefers functional bracing following ACL reconstruction. Currently, however, there is no clear consensus on whether functional bracing following ACL reconstruction leads to lower failure rates, improved stability or better patient-reported outcomes when compared to ACL reconstruction without bracing.
Detailed description
Given the increased popularity in quadriceps tendon graft, the biomechanical advantages of postoperative functional bracing, and the graft elongation that occurs predominantly with soft tissue grafts, there might be a role for functional bracing following quadriceps ACL reconstruction. Additionally, no studies to date have assessed the role of psychological readiness of return to sport, kinesiophobia and return to sport rates with and without functional bracing following ACL reconstruction (ACLR).
The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to assess the 2-year outcomes of psychological readiness, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), clinical stability, return to sport and failure rates following quadriceps autograft ACL reconstruction with and without functional bracing in the postoperative phase in younger athletic patients and military patients with a higher risk of failure or not returning to sports or duty, respectively, in a randomized study: the Bracing and Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament for Efficacy trial (BRACE-trial).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- A total of 96 patients will be randomized, which means 48 patients will be in the bracing group and 48 in the non-bracing group, based on a sample size calculation. Patients will be randomized during their 2-week post-op visit.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| With postoperative brace (DonJoy Defiance Pro) | Experimental | Device: post-surgical functional bracingQuadriceps Autograft ACL Reconstruction with the use of post-surgical functional bracing, using the DonJoy Defiance Pro brace |
| Without post-surgical functional bracing | No intervention | –Quadriceps Autograft ACL Reconstruction without the use of post-surgical functional bracing |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 14 to 39 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- patients with unilateral complete ACL injury
- patients involved in sports and the desire to return to sports
- patients undergoing quadriceps autograft ACL reconstruction
- must be 14 to 39 years old
Key exclusion criteria (11 listed)
- multiligamentous knee injuries defined as two ligaments requiring surgical stabilization
- concomitant suture tape augmentation, extra-articular tenodesis or anterolateral ligament reconstruction
- concomitant femoral, tibial, or patellar fracture(s)
- patients with significant osteoarthritis
- concomitant ipsilateral knee dislocation or patellar dislocation
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| post-surgical functional bracingAlso: DonJoy Defiance Pro braceQuadriceps Autograft ACL Reconstruction with the use of post-surgical functional bracing, using the DonJoy Defiance Pro brace | Device | With postoperative brace (DonJoy Defiance Pro) |
Primary outcome
Change in ACL-return to sport index (ACL-RSI) Scores
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
The ACL-Return to Sport after Injury scale (ACL-RSI) is a 12-item survey that measures psychological readiness to return to sport after an ACL injury or surgery. It uses a visual analog scale from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate greater psychological readiness. The total score is calculated as a percentage of the 12-item total score. A higher ACL-RSI score indicates a greater level of psychological readiness for returning to sport.
20 secondary outcomes
Tampa Scale Kinesiophobia 11 (TSK-11) Score
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Score
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Lysholm score
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Forgotten Joint Score (FJS-12)
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
SANE Score
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
5-point Likert Scale for Surgery Satisfaction Score
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Pain Visual Analog Scale (Pain - VAS) Score
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Lachmeter
Time frame: Baseline and Months 3, 6, 12, and 24
Lachman pivot shift
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Lachman anterior drawer
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Tegner Activity Score
Time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months
Time to Return to Sport/Previous Activity Level
Time frame: Months 3, 6, 12, and 24
Y-Balance Distance
Time frame: Months 6, 12, and 24
Number of Single Hop
Time frame: Months 6, 12, and 24
Number of Triple Hops
Time frame: Months 6, 12, and 24
Biodex Strength Testing
Time frame: Months 6, 12, and 24
Reoperation Rate
Time frame: Months 3, 6, 12, and 24
Failure Rate
Time frame: Months 3, 6, 12, and 24
Brace Compliance Rate
Time frame: Months 6, 12, and 24
Number of Brace Complications
Time frame: Months 6, 12, and 24
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Graded Exposure and Mindfulness Meditation for Patients Post-ACL Reconstruction
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Brian Waterman, MD principal investigator
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing post-surgical functional bracing in people with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries, run by Wake Forest University Health Sciences 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 4 inclusion and 11 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Apr 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 Katherine Leonard (336-716-3952, Katherine.Leonard@Advocatehealth.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in ACL-return to sport index (ACL-RSI) Scores (time frame: Baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 1 Apr 2026.