Clinical and Instrumental Assessment and Evaluation of Return to Sport in Patients Who Underwent Surgical Treatment for Posterolateral Corner (PLC) Injuries Associated With Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries. (PAPE_OTT)

November 9, 2026 updated by: Stefano Zaffagnini

This is a single-centre, observational retrospective and prospective study aimed at evaluating the clinical and functional outcomes of patients who underwent combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterolateral corner (PLC) reconstruction using the Over-The-Top (OTT) technique.

The primary outcome is the improvement in knee function, assessed using the Lysholm Knee Score by comparing pre-injury/preoperative status with postoperative follow-up. Secondary outcomes include knee stability, assessed through clinical examinations and instrumental measurements (KT-1000, KiRA, PIVOT App and Telos stress radiographs), return to sport, pain, MRI findings and postoperative complications.

Patients aged 18-65 years with a minimum follow-up of 24 months will be included. The study aims to provide evidence on the effectiveness of the combined ACL and PLC reconstruction using the OTT technique.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

16

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

  • Italy
    • Bologna
      • Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 40136

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

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients will be recruited from both male and female individuals aged between 18 and 65 years (inclusive) at the time of surgery, presenting with combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterolateral corner (PLC) injuries of the knee, who underwent surgical treatment at the II Orthopaedic and Traumatologic Clinic of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute. Surgical treatment consisted of ACL reconstruction using the Over-The-Top (OTT) technique combined with posterolateral corner reconstruction, performed between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2025.

Only patients with a minimum follow-up of 24 months from the date of surgery will be enrolled.

Description

Inclusion Criteria

  • Male and female patients;
  • Patients aged between 18 and 65 years at the time of surgery;
  • Patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using the Over-The-Top (OTT) technique combined with posterolateral corner (PLC) reconstruction;
  • Patients who underwent surgery between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2025;
  • Patients who underwent preoperative imaging examinations (MRI and, if applicable, X-rays) of the affected knee confirming the diagnosis of ACL and posterolateral corner injuries;
  • Patients who underwent isolated ACL + PLC reconstruction or ACL + PLC reconstruction combined with additional procedures on the same knee (e.g., meniscal treatment or concomitant ligament injuries);
  • Patients who provided written informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

  • History of fractures of the same limb requiring surgical treatment;
  • History of posterolateral corner (PLC) injuries of the knee requiring surgical treatment;
  • Patients younger than 18 years or older than 65 years at the time of surgery;
  • Patients who did not provide informed consent;
  • Patients who are no longer contactable.

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

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: CROSS_SECTIONAL

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Lysholm Knee Score
Time Frame: Minimum 24 months

The Lysholm Knee Score is a validated assessment tool used to evaluate knee function through 8 items addressing the knee's ability to meet the functional demands of daily activities. It is commonly used to assess surgical outcomes in patients undergoing treatment for knee ligament or meniscal injuries. The total score is calculated by summing the scores of the individual items, ranging from 0 to 100. Scores are classified as follows: Excellent (95-100), Good (84-94), Fair (65-83), and Poor (<64).
Minimum 24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Stefano Zaffagnini

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 (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 9, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

November 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 9, 2026

Last Verified

November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • PAPE_OTT

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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