Arginine and wound healing in patients recovering from a lower limb amputation

Patients admitted to RGH for a lower-limb amputation will be invited to participate in a study investigating the effect of a diet that is enriched with arginine on the time taken for the amputation wound to heal, and the time taken to have a prosthetic limb fitted. Participants will be allocated at random to receive either a standard hospital diet with 2 Arginine-enriched supplements or a standard hospital diet with 2 standard nutritional supplements, that are equal in energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. In addition to the time taken for the wound to heal, participants will also have their nutritional health measured via body weight, dietary intake and arm muscle stores. Quality of life will also be measured.