A randomised controlled feasibility trial of a prehabilitation intervention in frail older people undergoing total hip or knee replacement.

This project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Research for Patient Benefit Programme.

The long-term objective is to perform a definitive multicentre RCT to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a pre-operative protein and exercise intervention in frail/pre-frail individuals waiting for a hip or knee replacement. However, before this, several uncertainties must be addressed. The aim of the proposed trial is to determine the feasibility of a definitive RCT, and the primary objectives are to assess recruitment rate, retention rate, adherence and acceptability, data collection and data completion rates, and estimated sample size for a definitive trial.

To see if we can improve recovery from surgery in older people having hip or knee replacements by adding protein to their diet and asking them to do daily exercises (according to their abilities) in the weeks before their operation. First, we want to see if people are willing to do this by running a small study. If they are, we will design a larger study to test whether it does improve recovery following hip or knee replacement operations.