CHARLOTTE, NC
Tendon and Sports Injury Trials
Two studies are enrolling near Charlotte NC, and both are joint replacement studies. Nothing at all is open here for a tendon, a ligament or a cartilage tear, and we would rather say so. Payment is provided for eligible participants.
2
Open Near Charlotte
0
For a Tendon
+/- $100
Per Visit
New here? Read how this page works
First, here is the honest picture. Two studies are open and neither is for a tendon. So here is how to use this page.
- Point at the exact spot that hurts. Because the middle of a tendon and the point where it meets bone are treated as different conditions.
- Ask for a named score. Notably, VISA-A for an Achilles and the Constant score for a shoulder give you something to compare against in three months.
- Mention any injury claim on the first call. In fact, that is a written exclusion on several studies here and it is better raised early.
- Finally, tap the button. Then we check you against every study we track and tell you when something for a tendon opens.
Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.
Studies Open Near Charlotte Right Now
Two, and both are about replacing a joint rather than repairing a tendon. So read what each one is actually for.
Two joint replacement studies, and no fake surgery in either
Both compare real surgeries or real implants. Neither is for a tendon, a ligament or a cartilage tear, and we would rather say that plainly than let the count mislead you.
For a Shoulder Replacement After the Cuff Has Gone
DePuy / Device study
When the rotator cuff is worn beyond repair, the shoulder is rebuilt back to front so the big deltoid muscle does the work instead. This compares two versions of that implant. One anchors without a long stem down the arm bone. Both are real surgeries by a shoulder surgeon, so there is no fake surgery and nobody goes untreated. The odds run two to one in favour of the newer stemless design.
Payment is not published.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: keeping more of your own bone matters a great deal if the shoulder ever needs redoing. Meanwhile, both arms here are real surgery rather than anything experimental in the usual sense.
Who this study is looking for
- Needing a reverse shoulder replacement
- Also, because of arthritis, damage after injury, or a worn out rotator cuff
- Besides that, A working deltoid muscle, which is not negotiable here
- Finally, enough bone in the arm and socket, checked again during surgery
- Also, aged 22 or over
Probably not a fit if: a body mass index over 40 rules you out. Also, any previous surgery on that shoulder, and any redo of a failed replacement. Notably, an open injury claim or workers compensation case also excludes you.
- Placebo group: None. Both groups have a real shoulder replacement, and the odds favour the newer implant two to one.
- How long: Two years, with the main measure at the end.
- Clinic visits: About 7 or 8 in person, which are screening, a planning scan, the surgery, a wound check, then 3, 6, 12 and 24 months.
- Phone calls: None published.
- Most invasive part: The shoulder replacement itself, then weeks in a sling. Also X rays at the two year visit, and a planning scan beforehand.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: OrthoCarolina Research Institute, Charlotte NC 28207.
- Drive from Charlotte: The site is in Charlotte, at OrthoCarolina.
- You can be excluded on the table. If the bone turns out too soft or too brittle during surgery you come out of the study, though not out of the surgery.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
The Only Elbow Study Open Anywhere Near Here
Zimmer Biomet / Tracking study
Elbows get almost no research attention, and this is the exception. It follows an elbow replacement in people whose joint is destroyed by arthritis or by an old injury. It also covers a smashed elbow joint that cannot realistically be pieced back together. Everyone gets the real part, because there is only one group. However, it follows people for ten years.
Payment is not published.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: a wrecked elbow takes away almost everything you do with that arm. Meanwhile, elbow replacement is uncommon enough that long term numbers are thin.
Who this study is looking for
- A candidate for elbow replacement, first time or a redo
- Also, because of advanced arthritis, damage after injury, or a stiff or unstable joint
- Besides that, or an acute shattered break of the elbow joint surface
- Finally, aged 18 or over
Probably not a fit if: heavy or twisting work with that arm rules you out. So manual trades and competitive sport are named exclusions. Also, infection at the site, and nerve damage or a weak hand on the same side.
- Placebo group: None. There is one group, and everyone gets the real part.
- How long: Ten years, measured on how many parts are still in place.
- Clinic visits: Roughly 7 to 9 in person across ten years, each with X rays. But treat that as an estimate, because only the ten year point is published.
- Phone calls: None published.
- Most invasive part: The elbow replacement surgery itself. So this is major surgery, chosen for clinical reasons rather than for the study.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: OrthoCarolina Research Institute, Charlotte NC 28207.
- Drive from Charlotte: The site is in Charlotte, at OrthoCarolina.
- Ask about the lifting limit. A replaced elbow usually carries a permanent restriction of a few pounds, and that is the fact people most wish they had known first.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
The nearest study aimed at a tendon
It reinforces a cuff repair with a small patch. Everyone gets the patch, because there is only one group.
The Nearest Rotator Cuff Study
ZuriMED / Device study
Rotator cuff repairs tear again far more often than people are told, in perhaps a third to a half of cases. This lays a small polyester patch over the repair to hold it while it heals. Everyone gets the patch, because there is only one group and no control. Healing is checked on a scan at six months. The site is at Winston Salem.
Payment is not published.
Get on the list →More details
Why researchers are excited: re tearing is the main thing that goes wrong after cuff surgery, and nothing reliably prevents it. Meanwhile, single arm means nobody is assigned away from the new approach.
Who this study is looking for
- Having a first time cuff repair
- Also, A full thickness tear measuring two centimetres or more
- Besides that, A scan of that shoulder within the last year
- Finally, aged 30 to 70
Probably not a fit if: a workers compensation case rules you out outright. Also, a steroid injection into that shoulder in the last three months. Notably, heavy fatty change in the muscle excludes you, and that is common in older tears.
- Placebo group: None. There is one group and everyone gets the patch.
- How long: Two years, with the healing scan at six months.
- Clinic visits: About 6 or 7 in person over two years, including two scans.
- Phone calls: None published.
- Most invasive part: The cuff repair surgery, plus two scans. So the patch goes in during surgery you were already having.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem NC 27157.
- Drive from Charlotte: Winston Salem is about 82 miles north, so roughly an hour and twenty five minutes on I-85 and US-52.
- The age window is narrow. Thirty to seventy, and a tear of at least two centimetres. So both numbers are worth checking before the drive.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Not sure which one fits you?
First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we keep them on file. Finally, we tell you which studies near Charlotte you may fit. No account, no paperwork.
See if I may fit one of these studies →What Is Actually Changing in Tendon and Sports Injury Care
Tendons are the least researched tissue in bone and joints, and the gap between what is studied and what people actually have is enormous.
Tendinopathy Is Not Tendinitis
The old word ended in itis, which means inflammation, and that turned out to be largely wrong. What is actually happening is faulty repair in the tendon fibres. So resting it completely and taking anti inflammatory drugs often disappoints. In fact, loading the tendon in a controlled way is the treatment with the best evidence behind it.
Where It Hurts Decides the Treatment
An Achilles that hurts in the middle of the tendon is a different problem from one that hurts at the heel bone. So the study open at Columbia takes the middle kind and excludes the heel kind. Meanwhile, the same split exists at the elbow, the knee and the hip. Notably, pointing at the exact spot is the most useful thing you can do at an appointment.
Loading Is the Treatment, Not the Advice
Slow, heavy, controlled exercise is what rebuilds a tendon, and it needs months rather than weeks. So heel drops for an Achilles, or slow squats for a knee tendon, are the actual medicine. However, it usually hurts a little while you do it, and that is expected rather than a warning. Generally, twelve weeks is when people start judging it fairly.
Ask for a Named Score
For an Achilles the score is VISA-A, and for a shoulder it is often the Constant score. So a number gives you something to compare against in three months. Also, studies gate on these, so knowing yours saves a screening visit. Meanwhile, any therapist can score them.
Injections Reset the Clock
Steroid, platelet and gel injections all carry waiting periods before a study will take you. The Achilles study here excludes any treatment at all in the previous six months, which is oddly strict. So ask about the wait before booking anything else. In fact, this is the single most avoidable reason people are turned away.
Rotator Cuff Repairs Re Tear More Than People Are Told
A large share of repairs tear again, and older tears with fatty muscle change do worst. So the research effort has moved to reinforcing the repair rather than changing the stitch. Meanwhile, nothing for that is open in either metro, and the nearest sits at Winston Salem. Notably, an injury claim excludes you from that one entirely.
Two Real Surgeries Is a Fair Study Design
Surgery studies almost never use a fake surgery. So the comparison is normally between two real, accepted techniques, or between two real implants. In fact, that makes them among the easier studies to say yes to if surgery is already the plan. However, you do not choose which one you get.
Claims and Compensation Close Doors
An open injury claim or a workers compensation case is a written exclusion on several studies here. That is not a judgement about anybody. It exists because those cases change recovery in ways that muddy the results. So mention it on the first call rather than at screening.
Why the Gap Is So Wide
Tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, knee tendon pain, cruciate ligaments and cartilage tears are among the commonest reasons people limp into a clinic. Nothing for any of them is open in either metro today. So the two Charlotte studies are joint replacements, and the one Columbia study is an Achilles. Meanwhile, we would rather show you that gap than pretend it is not there.
Tendon Help Near You
Ask exactly where it hurts, because that decides which treatment fits. Also, ask for a named score so you can judge progress in three months. Finally, ask about the wait after any injection before you book another one. Meanwhile, join the list and we will call you when a study opens here.
Research Sites Near Charlotte
OrthoCarolina Research Institute runs both open studies here, and there is further bone and joint research at Gastonia. But sites add new studies all the time.
Atrium Health
Multiple Charlotte locations / 161+ active studies
Crohn’s, Heart Failure, COPD, Dementia, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension
Charlotte’s biggest health system. It is tied to Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Also, it runs far more trials than anyone else nearby.
Visit Website →
American Health Research Network
Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 25 to 30+ active studies
Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Type 2 Diabetes
Led by Dr. Selwyn Spangenthal. It is the biggest private lung research group in Charlotte. Specifically, it has 4 offices: Charlotte, Rock Hill, Lake Norman, and Charleston.
Visit Website →
Monroe Biomedical Research
Monroe, NC / 17+ active studies
Asthma, COPD, Hypertension, Obesity, Ulcerative Colitis
Notably, one of the 5 busiest research sites in the country. Its 6,300 sq ft space can host overnight stays. It is also an SCRS Global Impact Partner.
Visit Website →
Clinical Research of Gastonia
Gastonia, NC / 11+ active studies
Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Idiopathic Hypersomnia
Led by Dr. Anup Banerjee. Its 3,500 sq ft space sits next to CaroMont Regional Medical Center. Also, it has been running for over 10 years.
Visit Website →
OnSite Clinical Solutions
Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 10+ active studies
Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, COPD, Heart Failure, Atopic Dermatitis
It works with Charlotte doctors in heart, gut, skin, nerve, and joint care. Besides, it runs studies from Phase I through Phase IV.
Visit Website →
Flourish Research
Matthews, NC 28105 / 4+ active studies
Alzheimer’s Disease, Early Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s-Related Psychosis
Led by Dr. M. Reza Bolouri. He has 20+ years in Alzheimer’s research. The site is an Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence. In fact, its network has finished 5,500+ trials.
Visit Website →
New Hope Clinical Research
SouthPark, NC 28211 / 4+ active studies
Major Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder
Led by Dr. Kurian Abraham. It runs Phase I through IV studies and has 30 beds for overnight stays. Its last FDA audit came back clean. Also, it has finished 200+ brain studies.
Visit Website →
Queen City Clinical Research
SouthPark, NC 28211 / 2+ active studies
Chronic Pain, Chronic Migraine, Osteoarthritis
Led by Dr. Leonardo Kapural, a former Cleveland Clinic professor. Notably, he has written 200+ journal articles. On top of that, many call this the biggest pain research site in the country.
Visit Website →
Novant Health
Multiple Charlotte locations / Several active studies
Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Hypertension
One of the biggest health systems in the Carolinas. Its Heart and Vascular Institute runs heart studies and sees a lot of patients.
Visit Website →
DLVSC
4 Charlotte-area offices / 1+ active studies
Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea
Led by Dr. Gilly Munavalli. This award-winning skin practice owns 50+ FDA-approved lasers and devices. Also, it has its own research team.
Visit Website →
DelRicht Research
South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies
Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Depression
Part of a national network of mental health research sites. Currently, it runs the azetukalner bipolar depression trial in Charlotte. Previously, it ran other mental health studies.
Visit Website →
TMS of the Carolinas
South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies
Major Depression, Treatment-Resistant Depression
A specialty site for brain stimulation care. It runs the fast TMS study that packs 6 weeks into 2.
Visit Website →What to Expect in a Tendon or Joint Study
New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.
01
Prescreening
First comes a short phone call or online form. Also, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The staff check whether you might fit. Then they tell you what is open.
02
Screening Visit
Next the clinic runs the tests that decide it, which usually means blood work. Also, they go through the consent form line by line, and you can bring somebody with you.
03
Treatment Period
Then the study begins. So you take the study drug or the placebo on the agreed schedule. Meanwhile, your own doctor keeps managing everything else.
04
Follow-Up
Finally, there is a check in period at the end. Also, your own doctor gets the results, and you can stop at any point without affecting your care.
Tendon and Sports Injury FAQs
Real answers about tendon and sports injury studies near Charlotte NC.
Is there a study for this near Charlotte?
Two, and we should be clear about what they are. Both are joint replacement studies, one for a shoulder when the rotator cuff is beyond repair, and one for an elbow. So nothing here is aimed at a tendon, a ligament or a cartilage tear. Notably, the nearest tendon study is about eighty miles north at Winston Salem, and the only open tendon study in either metro is at Columbia.
Is it tendinitis or tendon pain?
The old word ended in itis, meaning inflammation, and that turned out to be largely wrong. What is actually happening is faulty repair in the tendon fibres. So complete rest and anti inflammatory drugs often disappoint, which confuses people. In fact, loading the tendon in a controlled way has the best evidence behind it.
Why does it matter exactly where it hurts?
Because a tendon that hurts in the middle is a different problem from one that hurts where it attaches to bone. So the study open at Columbia takes the middle of the Achilles and excludes the heel bone end. Meanwhile, the same split exists at the elbow, knee and hip. Notably, pointing at the exact spot is the most useful thing you can do at an appointment.
How long should exercise take to work?
Months rather than weeks, and it usually hurts a little while you do it. So slow, heavy, controlled loading is the actual treatment rather than general advice. Meanwhile, twelve weeks is about when people can judge it fairly. Also, stopping at week three because it still hurts is the commonest mistake.
What score should I ask for?
For an Achilles it is the VISA-A score, and for a shoulder it is often the Constant score. So having a number gives you something to compare against in three months. Also, studies gate on these, so knowing yours can save a screening visit. Generally, any therapist can score them.
I had an injection. Does that stop me joining a study?
Often yes, for a while. The Achilles study at Columbia excludes any treatment at all in the previous six months, which is oddly strict. So ask about the waiting period before booking anything else. Meanwhile, this is the single most avoidable reason people are turned away.
Why do injury claims come up?
An open injury claim or a workers compensation case is a written exclusion on several studies here. That is not a judgement about anyone. It exists because those situations change recovery in ways that muddy the results. So mention it on the first call rather than at screening.
Will I get a fake surgery?
No. Surgery studies almost never use one. The comparison is normally between two real techniques, or between two real implants. So nobody is left unfixed and nobody is denied treatment. However, you do not choose which one you get, so be comfortable with either before consenting.
Does it cost anything to check?
No. There is no cost, and no insurance is needed. Tether is a nonprofit list, so we do not run studies and we are not paid to send you anywhere. Also, checking never enrolls anyone in anything. You would always call the clinic yourself.
Where can I get help near Charlotte?
OrthoCarolina is a large specialist group here, and Atrium Health and Novant Health both run sports medicine services. Also, ask for a named score and a loading programme with actual numbers in it. Generally, a therapist is the right first stop for a tendon. Meanwhile, ask about the waiting period before booking any injection.
Ready to Explore a Study?
Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Charlotte team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.
← Back to All Clinical TrialsSources
- A stemless shoulder replacement study, in Charlotte, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06323980
- An elbow replacement tracking study, in Charlotte, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02469662
- Needling added to real therapy for a painful Achilles, at Columbia, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03968614
- A patch to reinforce a cuff repair, at Winston Salem, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06918041
- A meniscal repair study whose Charlotte site is closed to new people, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04228367
Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 17, 2026. Across both metros there is exactly one open study for a tendon problem, and nothing at all for tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, patellar or gluteal tendon pain, primary cuff repair, cruciate ligament reconstruction, meniscal repair or labral repair. That gap is stated rather than filled. One meniscal repair study reads as open at the headline while its Charlotte site row is closed to new people, so it is not listed as an option. One study listed here has a completion date in 2026, so it is in its final months. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.