Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Quadriceps Function, Landing Biomechanics, and Performance in Individuals With ACL Reconstruction

June 25, 2026 updated by: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Use of Whole-body Vibration to Acutely Improve Landing Biomechanics In Individuals With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR)

Individuals who undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are at heightened risk of secondary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury (e.g. additional injury to the ACL in either knee). One of the primary physiological consequences of ACLR is the presence of quadriceps dysfunction (i.e. reduced activation and strength) which has been linked to altered gait and landing biomechanics. Aberrant landing biomechanics have been associated with an increased risk of both primary and secondary ACL injury, thus additional research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of treatments aimed to reduce quadriceps dysfunction and restore adequate landing biomechanics in attempts to reduce secondary ACL injury. Whole-body Vibration (WBV) has demonstrated success in improving quadriceps function and gait biomechanics in individuals with ACLR, however its effectiveness on landing biomechanics is unknown. To evaluate the acute effects of WBV on landing biomechanics in those with ACLR, a non-randomized crossover-controlled trial was conducted to determine if a single bout of WBV improved landing biomechanics greater than a control condition. Participants completed two separate testing sessions (separated by at least one week) in which measures of quadriceps function and landing biomechanics were assessed before and after either a control (no WBV) or WBV intervention. Separate linear mixed-effects models of post-test values for each dependent outcome were conducted with condition (control vs WBV) and limb (ACLR vs Uninvolved) as an interaction term, and each condition pre-test values and time post-ACLR as fixed effect covariates and a random effect of subject. The investigators expect to observe a significant improvement in landing biomechanics following WBV compared to the control condition.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
36

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
        • Univesrity of North Carolina at Chapel HIll MOTION Science Institute

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Between the ages of 18-35
  • History of primary, unilateral ACLR
  • Medically cleared for unrestricted physical activity

Exclusion Criteria:

  • More than 5 years removed from ACLR
  • Currently pregnant
  • History of other lower extremity surgery
  • History of lower extremity injury in previous 6 months
  • History of neurological disorder
  • Maximal isometric quadriceps torque > 3.0 Nm/kg in the ACLR limb

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Whole body vibration followed by No Intervention (Control)
Participants in this arm will receive Whole Body Vibration followed by a washout period of 1 week, then receive the Sham Whole body vibration (Control). Each condition will be evaluated in a single session (i.e. acute effects).
Other: Whole body vibration (WBV)
Participants will stand on a WBV platform in a mini-squat position while vibration is applied during six 60-second bouts with 2 minutes of rest between each bout. WBV will be delivered at an acceleration of 2g and a frequency of 30 Hz.
Other: Sham Whole body vibration
Participants will stand on a WBV platform in a mini-squat position during six 60-second bouts with 2 minutes of rest between each bout. No vibration will be applied.
Experimental: Sham Whole body vibration (Control) followed by Whole Body Vibration
Participants in this arm will receive Sham Whole body vibration (Control) followed by a washout period of 1 week, then receive Whole Body Vibration. Each condition will be evaluated in a single session (i.e. acute effects).
Other: Whole body vibration (WBV)
Participants will stand on a WBV platform in a mini-squat position while vibration is applied during six 60-second bouts with 2 minutes of rest between each bout. WBV will be delivered at an acceleration of 2g and a frequency of 30 Hz.
Other: Sham Whole body vibration
Participants will stand on a WBV platform in a mini-squat position during six 60-second bouts with 2 minutes of rest between each bout. No vibration will be applied.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Internal Knee Adduction Moment (KAM)
Time Frame: Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Peak value during landing in both single-leg and double-leg tasks averaged over 3 trials and normalized to the product of body weight and height
Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Internal Knee Extension Moment (KEM)
Time Frame: Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Peak value during landing in both single-leg and double-leg tasks averaged over 3 trials and normalized to a product of body weight*height
Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Knee Flexion Angle (KFA)
Time Frame: Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Peak value during landing in both single-leg and double-leg tasks averaged over 3 trials
Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dynamic Postural Control
Time Frame: Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Time-to-stabilization during single-leg landing
Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Vertical Ground Reaction Force
Time Frame: Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Peak value during landing in both single-leg and double-leg tasks
Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Frontal Plane Kinematics
Time Frame: Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).
Peak value during landing in both single-leg and double-leg tasks
Separate values prior to and immediately following the intervention (within 5 minutes).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Derek Dewig, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 22, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 10, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 25, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 25, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 21-0305

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Deidentified individual data that supports the results will be shared beginning 9 and continuing for 36 months following publication provided the investigator who proposes to use the data has approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Independent Ethics Committee (IEC), or Research Ethics Board (REB), as applicable, and executes a data use/sharing agreement with UNC.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

IPD will be available beginning 9 and continuing for 36 months following publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Investigator has approved IRB, IEC, or REB and an executed data use/sharing agreement with UNC.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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