Effect of Knee Position on Muscle Loss During Leg Immobilization

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Muscle Atrophy, Disuse Atrophy, Immobilization

In brief

This study looks at what happens to leg muscles when the knee is kept straight or bent during five days of wearing a brace. We want to find out if keeping the knee bent (so the thigh muscle is stretched) helps prevent muscle loss compared to keeping the knee straight. Thirty healthy adults will take part. They will wear a knee brace for five days and have several tests before and after, including scans, blood samples, and small muscle samples. The results may help doctors find better ways to protect muscles when people cannot move, for example after surgery or illness.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07690150

Run by

Wageningen University

People needed

30

Starts

2026-08-01

Expected to finish

2028-06-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-07-08

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 40. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Healthy males and females
• Aged from 18-40 years at the time of signing informed consent
• 18.5 < BMI < 30 kg·m-2
• Must be willing and able to communicate and participate in the whole study

You may not qualify if…

• Smoking
• Diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, or genetic form of diabetes)
• Any diagnosed cardiovascular (heart) disease or high blood pressure (≥140 mmHg systolic and/or ≥90 mmHg diastolic)
• Chronic use of any prescribed or over the counter pharmaceuticals that may modulate muscle protein metabolism (excluding oral contraceptives and contraceptive devices).
• A personal or family history of thrombosis, epilepsy, seizures or schizophrenia.
• Prone to keloid forming (i.e. hyperplastic growth of scars).
• Any known disorders in muscle metabolism
• Regular use of dietary protein and/or amino acid supplements (>3 times per week)
• Currently involved in a structured progressive resistance training programme (>3 times per week)
• Known allergy to lidocaine
• Known severe kidney problems
• Allergy to one or multiple amino acids
• Recent (within the last 6 months) or current musculoskeletal injury (e.g. leg fracture)
• Having received or ingested a stable isotope tracer containing 15N in the past
• Contra-indications for MRI such as incompatible metal objects in the body and claustrophobia.
• Currently taking part in other scientific research
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Unable to give consent

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