Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is used to treat knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. In 2008 over 650,000 TKAs were performed in the US alone. The prevalence of TKA is projected to increase to 3.5 million U.S. patients annually at the current growth rates. Despite success as a treatment for osteoarthritis, TKA leaves patients with persistent muscle atrophy and loss of function, which results in decreased balance, reduced mobility, and increased risk of falls.
Studies by others indicated that essential amino acids (EEAs) may reduce muscle atrophy, the UO inventor hypothesized that EEAs may help TKA patients maintain function by reducing muscle atrophy post-surgery. He developed a defined mixture of EEAs, which when given to patients twice daily for 6 weeks post-surgery provided a >10% improvement over patients given a placebo for the same time frame. The inventor continues to study the effects of the EEA treatment and is interested in finding partners to develop this treatment into a product that can be offered to patients.