Essential Amino Acid Supplementation in Adult Spinal Deformity Patients

Effects of EAA Consumption on Recovery and Rehabilitation in Adult Spinal Deformity (ASD) Patients Undergoing Surgery

This will be a randomized double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial to determine if supplementing with essential amino acids (EAAs) for two weeks prior to, and 3 months after corrective spinal surgery in adults with spinal deformity can stimulate greater muscle protein turnover and whole-body protein balance, and enhance recovery after surgery when compared to a calorie matched placebo.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Adult Spinal Deformity
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Placebo; Dietary supplement: Essential Amino Acid Supplement by Amino Co

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Shiloah Kviatkovsky, PhD; Phone Number: 619.677.0792; Email: skviatkovsky@uams.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: David D Church, PhD; Phone Number: (501) 526-5769; Email: DChurch@uams.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Arkansas
    • Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72202
      • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
      • Contact: Shiloah Kviatkovsky, PhD; Phone Number: 619-677-0792; Email: skviatkovsky@uams.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Males and Females, 40 to 65 years old
• Diagnosed with adult spinal deformity
• Scheduled for ASD corrective procedure at UAMS (>2 weeks prior to surgery)
• Live near Little Rock and scheduled to attend physical therapy in Little Rock
• COVID-19 negative and/ or asymptomatic

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subject who does not/will not eat animal protein sources.
• Diagnosed metabolic or hormonal disease (i.e., renal, cardiovascular, thyroid, polycystic ovary syndrome, or type I/II diabetes mellitus).
• Currently pregnant.
• Gave birth or was lactating within previous 12 months.
• History of chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer in the 6 months prior to enrollment.
• Clinically significant weight gain or loss (>5% change) in the last 12 months.
• Consuming metabolism-altering drugs or medications (i.e., corticosteroids, stimulants, insulin).
• Diagnosis of autoimmune disease
• Currently receiving androgen (e.g., testosterone) or anabolic (e.g., GH, IGF-I) therapy.
• Diagnosis of muscular degenerative/dystrophy disease
• Unwilling to fast overnight.
• Unwilling to avoid using other protein or amino-acid supplements during participation.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo	Dietary supplement: Placebo; Placebo
Experimental: Essential Amino Acid Supplement Group	Dietary supplement: Essential Amino Acid Supplement by Amino Co; This intervention will be EAA supplementation of 15g twice a day for two weeks before surgery and then 12 weeks post-surgery in individuals diagnosed with ASD

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle Protein Synthesis	Mixed muscle protein synthesis expressed as the fractional synthetic rate.	24 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body Composition	Body composition via DEXA will be used to examine lean body mass, fat mass, and bone mineral density. Bioelectrical impedance analysis will be used to determine total body water and muscle quality	12 weeks
Handgrip Strength & Walking Ability	Hand grip strength in kg and 6-min walk test ability will be examined	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Arkansas
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Shiloah Kviatkovsky, UAMS

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 15, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 19, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 6, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 15, 2026
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: essential amino acids; protein balance
• Other Study ID Numbers: 299302

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No