Game-changing graft could cut knee injury recovery time
A PhD candidate at the TU/e developed a next-gen ACL treatment to help athletes heal stronger and faster.
Published on June 26, 2025
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© TU/e - Bart van Overbeeke
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The tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee is one of the most common injuries in high-demand sports, such as basketball, football, and soccer. ACL tears often necessitate lengthy rehabilitation and come with risks such as decreased graft strength and post-operative osteoarthritis, a common joint disease. Janne Spierings, a PhD candidate at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), developed a new protocol for cruciate ligament grafts that promises to minimize complications.
The ACL plays a crucial role in stabilizing the knee by preventing the femur and tibia from sliding excessively during movement. This ligament is vital for athletes, as it enables sudden stops and directional changes. Think of the change of direction of a soccer wing to dribble an opponent, or the use of a pivot foot in basketball. An ACL injury often requires surgical intervention to restore full functionality.
Biocultivated grafts
Currently, the standard graft treatment approach involves replacing the torn ACL with a tendon from the patient's own body, typically from the hamstring or patellar tendon. However, this process can weaken the graft and lead to complications such as a high risk of re-tear and early-onset osteoarthritis.
Spierings' novel protocol aims to address these issues by using decellularized 'bare' ACL grafts cultivated in a bioreactor. This technique enhances the graft's strength and promotes new cell growth, potentially reducing the time and complexity of recovery.
Spierings defended her dissertation on June 23 at the TU/e's Department of Biomedical Engineering. Despite promising results from initial tests, the process still requires optimization for faster clinical application. The advantage of Spierings' method lies in cultivating grafts under conditions mimicking natural knee movement, which could significantly cut recovery time and lower complication rates, offering hope to athletes grappling with ACL injuries.
