Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an effective treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) accompanied by severe pain and functional limitations. With the success of this treatment and increasing incidence of OA, it has been projected that ~3.5 million older adults will undergo TKA annually by the year 2030. While TKA is effective for reducing pain and improving health-related quality of life, TKA patients experience significant skeletal muscle atrophy and weakness in the surgical leg following surgery which, long-term, can compromise balance, functional mobility and increase fall risk. Thus, interventions to mitigate muscle atrophy and weakness post-surgery are essential to improving long-term outcomes in patients undergoing TKA.~This randomized controlled trial will study the effects of peanut protein supplementation on changes in muscle size and quality in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Patients (n=30) between the ages of 60-75 years scheduled to undergo total knee arthroplasty at the Jack Hughston clinic/hospital will be recruited to participate. Participants will be stratified by gender and randomized to a peanut protein (PP) supplementation (72g daily, n=15) or waitlist control (standard care with no PP, n=15) group who will be provided with PP following the intervention. Participants in the PP group will consume PP daily starting 7 days prior to surgery and for 6 weeks post-surgery. Participants will be monitored for changes in muscle size and quality (peripheral quantitative computed tomography), upper-leg strength (isokinetic dynamometry), knee range of motion (ROM; goniometry), pain (questionnaire and pressure algometry), and functional mobility outcomes (questionnaire, timed up and go, 2-min walk test) prior to surgery and at 6 and 12-weeks post-surgery.
This randomized controlled trial will study the effects of peanut protein supplementation on changes in muscle size and quality in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.