Testing a medication to prevent arthritis after ACL knee injury

When you tear your ACL (a key ligament in the knee), your joint bleeds and becomes inflamed, which can lead to arthritis years later. This study is testing whether tranexamic acid, an FDA-approved medication that reduces bleeding, can also reduce inflammation and protect your joint health after ACL injury and surgery. The researchers want to see if this medication might help prevent or delay arthritis in people like you.

People who injure their ACL are at high risk of developing arthritis within just 10 years. There aren't many proven ways to prevent this outcome yet, so researchers are testing whether controlling bleeding and inflammation right after surgery with this medication could protect your joint long-term.