The Effect of Pre-Operative Cryoneurolysis on Post-Operative Narcotic Consumption in Patients Undergoing Autograft ACL Reconstruction

May 11, 2026 updated by: Virtua Health, Inc.
The purpose of the research is to investigate the effect of preoperative Cryoneurolysis of the knee on postoperative pain management in patients undergoing autograft anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (a surgical procedure that makes a new ACL using the patient's own tendon). Cryoneurolysis is an approved process of applying extreme cold temperatures to targeted nerves in order to decrease or eliminate pain. . If you take part in the research, you will be randomly assigned (assigned by chance, like a flip of a coin) to Group A (standard care) or Group B (standard care plus Cryoneurolysis). Participants in both groups will undergo standard ACL reconstruction and receive standard preoperative and postoperative pain management. Participants in Group B only will also receive a standard treatment of Cryoneurolysis to their surgical knee within 7-10 days before their scheduled surgery. Participants in both groups (A & B) will be asked to bring their remaining postoperative pain medication to their postoperative follow-up appointments for review by study personnel. Participants will also be asked to complete a survey about their knee activity, function and symptoms at these appointments. Your time in the study will last until the completion of the 12-week postoperative follow-up appointment.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

20

Phase

  • 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 Contact

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New Jersey
      • Burlington, New Jersey, United States, 08016
        • Recruiting
        • Virtua Orthopedics Burlington
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Sean Mc Millan, DO
      • Cherry Hill, New Jersey, United States, 08034
        • Recruiting
        • Virtua Orthopedics Cherry Hill
        • Contact:

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • - Patients aged 14 and over
  • Patients who are patients within the PI's practice
  • Patients who can speak and read English
  • Patients undergoing autograft ACL reconstruction.
  • Patients who are opioid naïve

Exclusion Criteria:

  • - Under the age of 14
  • Non-English speaking/reading patients
  • Patients with Reynauds' syndrome
  • Patients with skin disorders or hypo-vascularity
  • Patients undergoing allograft ACL reconstruction.
  • Patients who consistently use opioids preoperatively

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Arm A: ACL reconstruction usual care
On the day of surgery, all patients (Group A and Group B) will receive a multi-modal oral pre-operative cocktail and an ultrasound guided adductor canal block. Additionally, an ultrasound guided popliteal or infiltration of the tissue plane between the popliteal artery and the capsule of the knee (iPACK) block will be administered. The pre-operative oral medication cocktail and block medications are as follows: Acetaminophen 975 mg x 1, Celecoxib 400 mg PO x 1, adductor canal block with 133 mg (10 mL) liposomal bupivacaine (EXPAREL) admixed with 0.5% bupivacaine HCl 50 mg (10 mL), popliteal or iPACK nerve infiltration with 133 mg (10 mL) liposomal bupivacaine (EXPAREL) admixed with 0.5% bupivacaine HCl 50 mg (10 mL). 15 mg IV ketorolac at conclusion of the case will be administered.
Experimental: Arm B: Usual care plus pre-operative cryoneurolysis
Those randomized to the intervention group (Group B) will receive a standard treatment of Cryoneurolysis to their surgical knee within 7-10 days of their scheduled surgery. Treatment nerves for the procedure will include the anterior femoral cutaneous nerve (AFCN), supra-patellar branch of the saphenous nerve (SPBSN) and infra-patellar branch of the saphenous nerve (IPBSN).
Procedure: Cryoneurolysis
Those randomized to the intervention group (Group B) will receive a standard treatment of Cryoneurolysis to their surgical knee within 7-10 days of their scheduled surgery. Treatment nerves for the procedure will include the anterior femoral cutaneous nerve (AFCN), supra-patellar branch of the saphenous nerve (SPBSN) and infra-patellar branch of the saphenous nerve (IPBSN).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Post-operative opioid consumption
Time Frame: Measured at 1-week, 6-weeks, 12-weeks
average daily morphine milliequivalents (MMEs) over the measured postoperative period
Measured at 1-week, 6-weeks, 12-weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
IKDC Subjective Knee Evaluation Form
Time Frame: 1-week, 6-week, 12-week postoperative period
10-item self-rated scale measuring symptoms, athletic activity, and knee function.
1-week, 6-week, 12-week postoperative period

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Virtua Health, Inc.

Collaborators

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

August 28, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 10, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 16, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

September 19, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 11, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • G24064
  • CON-000367 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Pacira Bioscience Inc.)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Will share aggregate data only

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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