Could a natural compound in food help beat knee implant infections?
NCT ID NCT06591741
First seen Aug 26, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This trial tests whether a dietary supplement called protocatechuic acid (PCA) can improve health markers in people undergoing revision surgery for a knee prosthetic joint infection. Participants take PCA before and after surgery, and researchers measure changes in immune and metabolic biomarkers, as well as how many people get a reinfection. The goal is to see if this natural compound might support the body's ability to clear infection and improve recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- protocatechuic acid (PCA), a dietary supplement taken orally
- What this could lead to
- If PCA works, it could offer a simple, natural way to support recovery and lower the chance of infection returning after knee replacement revision surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial, and the supplement's effect on infection outcomes is uncertain. It may not change biomarkers or reduce reinfection rates, and it is not a substitute for standard care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 3 weeks or more after total knee arthroplasty * One or more symptoms of infection, including redness, swelling, pain, increasing range of motion loss, fever, nausea, and loss of appetite. * WBC count of aspirate \>50,000 cells per μL Exclusion Criteria: * Not willing to undergo blood draw at 3 months.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Kenneth Dean Reeves
Shawnee Mission, Kansas, 66205, United States
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