Graded Exposure and Mindfulness Meditation for Patients Post-ACL Reconstruction

NCT ID: NCT05949177

Last Updated: 2025-11-13

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

50 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-10-30

Study Completion Date

2026-07-31

Brief Summary

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To evaluate the effect of graded exposure and mindfulness meditation after ACLR, the investigators will determine the effect of graded exposure and mindfulness meditation to 1) decrease self-reported injury-related fear and reinjury anxiety, and 2) improve lower extremity reaction time when compared to a waitlist control group.

Detailed Description

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Injury-related fear after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is associated with secondary ACL injury and slower reaction time. Graded exposure (GE) and mindfulness meditation (MM) have reduced injury-related fear, but has not been explored together in patients post-ACLR. GE and MM delivered via the Headspace application is feasible for individuals post-ACLR. GEMM allows athletic trainers' to easily implement MM into their practice. The aim of this randomized single-blinded clinical trial is to determine the efficacy of 5-weeks of GEMM to decrease injury-related fear and reinjury anxiety and improve reaction time in participants 6 months to 10-years post-ACLR. Participants will be randomized into a GEMM group or waitlist control group. Participants will complete the Photographic Series of Sports Activities for ACLR, Reinjury Anxiety Inventory, the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11 and a lower extremity reaction time task pre and post the 5-week period. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the GEMM group will exhibit decreased injury-related fear and reinjury anxiety and faster reaction time when compared to the waitlist controls.

Conditions

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Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

Keywords

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Rehabilitation

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Graded Exposure and Mindfulness Meditation

The participants randomized to the GEMM group will complete 1) written exposure and 2) in vivo exposure and will be asked to rate their task specific fears after baseline tests. Tasks identified to be fearful will be used to develop the graded-hierarchy of fearful situations, and these fearful situations will be addressed in the GEMM. Participants will be instructed to watch a 30-min video that provides education on the rationale of cognitive behavioral therapies, specifically the benefits of exposure therapy and mindfulness meditation. Participants randomized into the GEMM group will also complete 5-weeks of Mobile Mindfulness Meditation. Participants randomized into the GEMM group will be guided through 4, 10-minute Mobile Mindfulness Meditation per week (20 total sessions) via the Headspace mobile application where they will learn the fundamentals of mindfulness meditation and how to apply mindfulness meditation to sports rehabilitation.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Graded Exposure and Mindfulness Meditation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will complete graded exposure and will be encouraged to face fear-eliciting situations. Participants will also complete mindfulness meditation guided through the Headspace mobile application. Participants will complete the graded exposure one time per week and will complete the mindfulness meditation 4 times per week.

Waitlist Control

Participants will be randomized to a waitlist control group. Participants will receive an email stating that they will receive access to 5-weeks of Headspace after 5-weeks. Participants will be also asked to not change their normal routines or download apps for relaxation, meditation, or sleep during 5-weeks. After completion of the outcome assessments at 5-weeks, participants in this group will receive access to 5-weeks of Headspace.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Waitlist Control

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive an email stating that they will receive access to 5-weeks of Headspace after 5-weeks. Participants will be also asked to not change their normal routines or download apps for relaxation, meditation, or sleep during 5-weeks. After completion of the outcome assessments at 5-weeks, participants in this group will receive access to 5-weeks of Headspace.

Interventions

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Graded Exposure and Mindfulness Meditation

Participants will complete graded exposure and will be encouraged to face fear-eliciting situations. Participants will also complete mindfulness meditation guided through the Headspace mobile application. Participants will complete the graded exposure one time per week and will complete the mindfulness meditation 4 times per week.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Waitlist Control

Participants will receive an email stating that they will receive access to 5-weeks of Headspace after 5-weeks. Participants will be also asked to not change their normal routines or download apps for relaxation, meditation, or sleep during 5-weeks. After completion of the outcome assessments at 5-weeks, participants in this group will receive access to 5-weeks of Headspace.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Ages 14-35 years
* Have self-reported levels of fear on the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11 and the Photographic Series of Sports Activities for ACLR
* Injured their knee playing or training for sports (recreational or organized)
* Have a history of unilateral ACLR
* 6 months to 10-years post-ACLR

Exclusion Criteria

* History of secondary ACL injury
* Do not exhibit elevated injury-related fear
* Concomitant surgeries at the time of ACL reconstruction
Minimum Eligible Age

14 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

35 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Athletic Trainers' Association Research & Education Foundation (NATA Foundation)

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Shelby E Baez, Ph.D., ATC

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

UNC-Chapel Hill

Locations

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Woollen Gymnasium, 300 South Road

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Shelby E Baez, Ph.D., ATC

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 919-445-1500

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Shelby E Baez, Ph.D.., ATC

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

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2223GP01

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

23-1412

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id