Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Mi-SPA: Michigan Split-belt Adaptation Paradigm to Improve Knee Loading After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Award Number: R21AR082643
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/15/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2027

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Mi-SPA: Michigan Split-belt Adaptation Paradigm to Improve Knee Loading After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction - PROJECT SUMMARY It is commonplace for individuals after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction to shift mechanical de- mands away from their surgical knee and limb. This manifests as diminished knee moments and vertical ground reaction forces in the ACL limb during everyday tasks (e.g., walking, running, standing, landing, etc.) and persists for as long as 2.5 years after surgery. This pattern of underloading is considered maladaptive, as it has been linked to re-injury and biological markers that are consistent with the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis that affects over 50% of knees 10-20 years after surgical reconstruction. A fundamental gap exists in our under- standing of how to restore normal loading patterns to the surgical limb after ACL reconstruction. Split-belt tread- mill training, where treadmill belts are de-coupled such that one limb walks faster than the other, has proven capable of modifying loading during walking in healthy and neurological populations. Our own pilot data in ACL reconstructed individuals further supports the premise that split-belt treadmill training can profoundly increase loading in the ACL knee and limb. However, the effects of split-belt treadmill training in ACL reconstructed indi- viduals have yet to be studied systematically, so its true efficacy in this population remains unknown. Further, information regarding the most effective de-coupling speed, what limb to train, and whether acute aftereffects persist once the split-belt training is removed is not available and is critical to designing an appropriate training program for ACL reconstructed individuals. The absence of this information serves as the driving force and focus of the proposed clinical studies. Therefore, we propose studies to define the optimal speed of decoupling nec- essary for each limb to increase ACL knee loading (Aim 1) and to examine the short-term aftereffects (i.e., loading after training) of a single bout of split-belt treadmill training of the ACL and non-ACL limbs (Aim 2). As we look from this proposal to a randomized clinical trial, our Exploratory Aim will test the benefits of a 6-week split-belt treadmill training intervention. We hypothesize that knee loading in the ACL reconstructed limb will increase as the speed on the de-coupled/ACL reconstructed limb belt increases. Further, we hypothesize that split-belt mediated aftereffects will be significantly higher in a split-belt training condition compared to a tied-belt, speed-matched control condition. This study is innovative because it systematically evaluates a novel, promising intervention for ACL reconstructed individuals to modify knee and limb loading, which is a maladaptive biome- chanical strategy that has no other interventions available capable of minimizing its effects. The proposed re- search is significant because, if successful, it will identify a treatment approach that may successfully counteract the knee and limb underloading that plagues ACL reconstructed individuals for years after injury and contributes to the onset of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $123,557 )
2026	2026	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN	1109 GEDDES AVE STE 3300	ANN ARBOR	MI	48109	WASHTENAW	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	001	3	3/2/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$123,557
2026	2025	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN	1109 GEDDES AVE STE 3300	ANN ARBOR	MI	48109	WASHTENAW	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	2	2/27/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $123,557

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $211,921 )
2025	2025	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN	1109 GEDDES AVE, SUITE 3300	ANN ARBOR	MI	48109	WASHTENAW	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	2	1/28/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$211,921
														Subtotal = $211,921

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $211,806 )
2024	2024	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN	1109 GEDDES AVE, SUITE 3300	ANN ARBOR	MI	48109	WASHTENAW	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	1	2/14/2024	NEW	$211,806
														Subtotal = $211,806

Grand Total All Awards = $547,284

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Mi-SPA: Michigan Split-belt Adaptation Paradigm to Improve Knee Loading After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Award Number: R21AR082643

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/15/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2027

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer